The Assembly drowned in uproar and witnessed a walk-out on Tuesday over the UDF Government’s plans to establish a Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) -model drinking water company in the state.
The Opposition leaders alleged that the company was intended to replace state-run Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and gift drinking water supply on a platter to private monopolies.
Although Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Water Resources Minister P J Joseph voiced assurances that the new company would not encroach upon the KWA turf, they did not have a plausible answer as to why the KWA itself should not be entrusted with the new job.
The company would supply drinking water in jars, according to Joseph, but he fumbled for an answer when the Opposition wanted to know the status of the KWA’s own bottled drinking water project, announced years ago.
The Opposition staged a walkout after the Speaker rejected an adjournment motion on this issue and the government’s failure to adequately combat drought. K V Chenthamarakshan, who sought leave for the motion, said that the government was attempting to transform drinking water, a fundamental right of every citizen, into a commodity such as petrol and diesel.
“Instead of rectifying defects in the KWA projects, the government was merely interested in business,” he said. Chandy said that the company was modelled on the water supply projects in West Bengal, and, in phase I, would supply water in jars at 20 per cent of the market cost. “If found successful, phase II would focus on industrial water supply sans subsidies,” he said. CPM’s A K Balan said that the KWA was supplying water at 4.2 paise per litre. “The new company would be using the same water sources of the KWA, hindering the latter’s operations,” he said. Opposition Deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the government should strengthen the KWA instead of forming new companies with private participation.
Chandy justified the new company saying it was modelled on the CIAL, a nationally accepted example. But CPI’s C Divakaran said that drinking water could not be equated with airports. “It is not viable in Kerala. The government should drop the project. We will not allow it,” he said.
http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article1461481.ece
The Opposition leaders alleged that the company was intended to replace state-run Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and gift drinking water supply on a platter to private monopolies.
Although Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Water Resources Minister P J Joseph voiced assurances that the new company would not encroach upon the KWA turf, they did not have a plausible answer as to why the KWA itself should not be entrusted with the new job.
The company would supply drinking water in jars, according to Joseph, but he fumbled for an answer when the Opposition wanted to know the status of the KWA’s own bottled drinking water project, announced years ago.
The Opposition staged a walkout after the Speaker rejected an adjournment motion on this issue and the government’s failure to adequately combat drought. K V Chenthamarakshan, who sought leave for the motion, said that the government was attempting to transform drinking water, a fundamental right of every citizen, into a commodity such as petrol and diesel.
“Instead of rectifying defects in the KWA projects, the government was merely interested in business,” he said. Chandy said that the company was modelled on the water supply projects in West Bengal, and, in phase I, would supply water in jars at 20 per cent of the market cost. “If found successful, phase II would focus on industrial water supply sans subsidies,” he said. CPM’s A K Balan said that the KWA was supplying water at 4.2 paise per litre. “The new company would be using the same water sources of the KWA, hindering the latter’s operations,” he said. Opposition Deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the government should strengthen the KWA instead of forming new companies with private participation.
Chandy justified the new company saying it was modelled on the CIAL, a nationally accepted example. But CPI’s C Divakaran said that drinking water could not be equated with airports. “It is not viable in Kerala. The government should drop the project. We will not allow it,” he said.
http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article1461481.ece
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