Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Congress U-turn in Kerala: Suzlon windmills to stay by Shaju Philip

Congress U-turn in Kerala: Suzlon windmills to stay by Shaju Philip

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Aug 25, 2011   modified Modified on Aug 25, 2011

In a major climbdown from its stand during the opposition days, the Congress in Kerala on Wednesday decided not to evict energy major Suzlon from tribal land at ecologically-sensitive Attappadi hills, where the firm had illegally erected windmills.

During the previous LDF regime, the Congress had vigorously campaigned to evict the windmill owners from tribal land and the party had even sought the intervention of the national leadership.

Instead of pulling down the windmills as recommended by a committee headed by the chief secretary, the Congress government has tailored a package to retain the 32 windmills, installed by Suzlon and later owned by business houses in Kerala and elsewhere.

After a meeting with the representatives of all stakeholders in the controversial issue, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the government wanted to retain the windmills. “We would look into the extent of land encroached upon by the windmills. As per the proposed formula, windmill owners would have to give a share of their profit to the tribals, who had lost the land,” said the Chief Minister.

A senior UDF leader, who had participated in the discussions, said nobody would benefit from dismantling the windmills. “We have asked the representatives of the energy firm to give the tribals a compensation of 10 paise per unit of power generated. We would ensure that the firms agree to this condition.”

However, Tribal Action Council secretary M Sukumaran said the tribal community wanted to get back the alienated land. “Windmill owners had grabbed 166 acres of land from 36 families. We have not agreed to any such formula as stated by the Chief Minister. Let the government first fix the ownership of the land if it is not yet convinced about the land encroachment,” he said.

In last September, as part of the party campaign to flush out the encroachers from Attappadi hills, the Congress had taken a group of duped tribals to Delhi, where they met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Congress leader Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, now revenue minister, had then commented in Delhi that the land grabbing by windmills was shameful as it had taken place even after the enactment of the Forest Rights Act. Radhakrishnan was not available for comment for party’s volte-face.

In November 2010, the Left government had decided to evict Suzlon from the tribal land and restore the same to the tribal community, following the recommendations of a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary.

The Indian Express, 25 August, 2011, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/congress-uturn-in-kerala-suzlon-windmills-to-stay/836613/


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close