Medha Patkar to address rally in Aranmula

Pathanamthitta: The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has called upon the Government to take a strong resolve not to permit any more conversion of paddyfield or wetland in the larger interests of the very existence of the land of Kerala.
In a joint statement issued here on Saturday, the NAPM leaders, Medha Patkar, Gabriele Dietrich, Prafulla Samantara, Sandeep Pandey, Goe Ghosh, Hussein Master, George Jacob and Madhuresh Kumar said records available with the State Planning Board showed that Kerala lost over 5,00,000 hectares of paddy fields between 1980 and 2007 but has failed to add more land under cultivation.
It said the wanton conversion of wetlands and paddy fields taking place in the name of ‘development’ at Aranmula for the Private Aranmula Greenfield International Airport project should be brought to a halt and Government should take over all illegally converted land for agriculture purposes and cancel the project immediately.
Expressing solidarity with the people agitating against the airport project, the statement said “NAPM stood firm with the people of Aranmula and supports the struggle against proposed Airport. We also urge that laws like Kerala Industrial Single Window Clearance Boards and Industrial Township Area Development Act-1999 be repealed since they usurp the constitutionally granted rights of Gram Sabha.’’
Grama sabhas have the sole right to plan development in their area as per the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution and Kerala Government must respect it, it added.
12/02/12 The Hindu

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Categories: airports Feb 2012, New Feb 2012