KANNUR: Coming down heavily on the Keezhattur agitators, Taliparamba MLA James Mathew has said the pseudo environmentalists who support the agitation should realise the ground realities at Keezhattur. He also asked the media to keep away from the agitation for the sake of development. Keezhattur issue was built on a platform of lies, he told reporters here on Saturday. At the beginning of the stir, the agitators had said 250 acres of paddy field would be destroyed if the bypass is built. But the fact is that only around 12 acres of land will be acquired for the construction.
Later, the agitators said their potable water sources would be lost forever. As the MLA of the region, I ensured them potable water will not be a problem in the area. Another lie they are propagating is regarding the compensation amount. Now, it is known to everyone that the compensation amount will be much higher than anybody had thought,” he said.
“People who had blown up the issue had conveniently hidden the fact that the state government has no role in fixing the alignment of highways. The state government’s duty is to provide assistance to the proceedings of the National Highways Authority of India. AIDCO, a private agency, was entrusted with the task of fixing the alignment. Their priority was to avoid maximum number of houses and populated areas so that the compensation amount would be less. That is how, they fixed the alignment through Keezhattur paddyfields,” James Mathew said.
But, those who ignited the issue have hidden these facts to attack the CPM, he alleged. “All bypasses in the district were built by filling up paddyfields and harming the environment. In some parts of the state, work is going on in connection with the widening of various roads. The state government is committed to implementing development projects,” he said.
“I feel pity when I saw poet Sugathakumari speaking against the project in a TV channel. I have a request to the pseudo environmentalists who are making a hue and cry over Keezhattur. Take a common stand applicable to all the development projects in the state. How can Keezhattur be viewed separately when roads are built elsewhere killing paddyfields? Sixty eight ponds were filled to build the Kodungallur bypass. Is there any ‘Black Holes’ in Keezhattur so that they could get a special status? he asked. Most of the people in Keezhattur feel insecure due to the intervention of outside people, said James Mathew.
The Kerala government will complete the work of the national highway widening from one end of the state to the other by overcoming obstacles at any cost, said CPM state committee member M V Govindan at Taliparamba on Saturday. While inaugurating the meeting held in connection with the conclusion of Janajagratha march from Keezhattur to Taliparamba conducted under the aegis of Keezhattur Janakeeya samrakshana samithi, Govindan said the government will implement this without causing much trouble to the people of Kerala. Communalist-fascist forces have joined hands with the Vayalkkilikal to take political advantage of the situation. They don’t realise this danger, he said. T Balakrishna presided over the function. CPM district secretary P Jayarajan, James Mathew MLA, T V Rajesh MLA and Pullayikkodi Chandran spoke.