The Thiruvaranmula Paithruka Grama Karma Samithi and the Palliyoda-Pallivilakku Samrakshana Samithi have called for a day-long hartal in Pathanamthitta district on Wednesday in protest against the alleged indifference of the government to their demand to withdraw the proposed Aranmula airport project and the Sabarimala Master Plan project from the Emerging Kerala-Global Connect meet to be held in Kochi from Wednesday to Friday.
A joint statement issued by Karma Samithi president K. Haridas and Samrakshana Samithi convener P. Induchoodan said the decision to observe a hartal on the opening day of the three-day investors’ meet was taken with the support of various socio-environmental and cultural organisations.
They alleged that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty had adopted an indifferent attitude to their plea to exclude the controversial airport project from the proposed meet. The government’s gross neglect of the people’s interests and the environment was reflected in the inclusion of the Aranmula airport as a key project in the district profile published on the meet website, they said.
The Chief Minister’s promise that only environment-friendly projects would be included in the meet had been proved hollow, they alleged.
The statement called for whole-hearted support of the people for the dawn-to-dusk hartal by keeping all shops closed, striking work, and hoisting black flags in every nook and cranny of the district in the interests of protecting biodiversity-rich wetlands, paddy fields, and the natural stream leading to the Pampa.
BJP extends support
In a statement here on Sunday, V.N. Unni, Bharatiya Janata Party district unit president, said the party would extend active support to Wednesday’s hartal in Pathanamthitta.
· Protest against including project in investor meet
· Chandy’s promise proved hollow: Samithis
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article3879918.ece
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