KOCHI: In the backdrop of the eviction-related issues at Moolampilly, the state government would soon bring in a land acquisition policy to ensure better rehabilitation facilities for the evictees of developmental projects, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said. After distributing the rent arrears due to the evictees of the road connectivity project for ICTT Vallarpadom at Moolampilly on Thursday, the Chief Minister said it would be ensured that those who surrender land for developmental projects would be made the first beneficiaries of the project. “The government will introduce a policy for land acquisition. The people need to surrender land only after getting the compensation and rehabilitation package. Also they will be made the first beneficiaries of whatever project comes up there. If it is a BOT project we will think whether those who surrender land for the project can be made shareholders,” the Chief Minister said. Ommen Chandy further said that with the compensation and the rehabilitation package included in the cost of the project, the expenses of such projects would be more. “Only those projects which can afford these things will come up in future,” he said.Chandy promised to look into the demand for the Moolampilly-Chathand road project. Chandy said all efforts would be taken to get environmental clearance for the project.Earlier, the Chief Minister told reporters on the sidelines of the function that he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to expedite the CBI probe into the irregularities in the functioning of other-state lotteries in the state. “The state is keen that the probe should include the recent fire at the Palakkad office of Megha Distributors,” he said. To another question regarding the issues within the UDF, the Chief Minister said all issues would be addressed and resolved at the UDF meeting to be held on June 22. Presiding over the function, Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said an amount of Rs 4.5 crore would be distributed to the evictees. He also promised to issue land deeds to the 27 families which had filed cases against the government. Senior Congress leader V M Sudheeran, who has been active throughout the fight for the evictees, said those evicted for a developmental project should also be made part of it. Excise Minister K Babu, K P Dhanapalan MP, MLAs S Sarma, V D Satheesan, Hibi Eden, Dominic Presentation, Benny Behanan, V P Sajeendran, Loudy Louis, Bishop Joseph Karikkassery, district panchayat president Eldose Kunnappally, Mayor Tony Chammany and activists C R Neelakandan and Francis Kalathunkal of the Coordination Committee of Evictees, were also present.
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