There are as many as 11,685 families residing within 50 metres from the shoreline along the state’s coast, fisheries, culture and youth affairs minister Saji Cherian said in the assembly on Tuesday. Replying to a submission by opposition leader V D Satheesan demanding redesigning the ongoing Punargeham project to relocate such families from the coastline, the minister said that according to a survey, there are 11,685 families within 50m of shoreline. Of them, 3,367 families are residing within 10m, 3,921 within 10-20m, 4,577 within 20-30m and 6,820 within 30-50m. He said that of these families, 7,192 have agreed to relocate under the scheme. He said that the project aims at providing Rs 10 lakh for such families, of which Rs 6 lakh will be for purchasing land (two cents if in municipal or corporation limits and three cents if in rural areas) and the rest is for construction of a house. As much as Rs 2,450 crore has been earmarked for the project, of which Rs 1,398 crore is from the chief minister’s distress relief fund, while Rs 1,052 crore is from the budget of the fisheries department. He said that land has been located for 2,275 families while 1,630 families have got their land registered and 428 houses have been completed.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader said that the figures being cited by the minister were not true to the facts. He said that the project needs a complete overhauling as the conditions laid out in the scheme are completely impractical. He said that the condition that they have to surrender their existing land and house to get relocated is unjustified. “Why would someone who has, for example, 15 cents and a house surrender it to the government to get three cents of land, that too which they may not be able to purchase with the money offered by the government?” he asked. Also, he slammed another clause that they should complete the construction work of the new house within 12 months, failing which they will have to repay an interest of 18%. “Even the government will not be able to construct it within this period and they are asked to pay this huge interest. Is the government playing the role of a private moneylender?” Satheesan said.
2021 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.