Kerala
government has deputed its top official who heads their Delhi liaison office
Prof K V Thomas to hold talks with the church leaders in an effort to break the
deadlock over the rehabilitation programs for the fishermen affected by the
Vizhinjam port project.
The representatives of the church have
suspended the four month long agitation against resumption of work in the
Vizhinjam port project because of the
pressure exerted by, the Kerala high court, the state government, the
opposition parties and the media but they are unhappy over the tardy progress
of rehabilitation projects for the affected fishermen
It is in this
context the state government had chosen Mr Thomas who had represented the
church dominated Ernakulam Lok sabha constitutency for four terms for the task;
Prof Thomas who was in congress had left the party a few months ago and joined
the CPIM. He has since been made the Special Representative of the Kerala
government in New Delhi.
The state’s newly appointed representative in
Delhi, K V Thomas, will hold talks with Church heads in a bid to sort out
contentious issues with them and bring them closer to the government. The former Congress leader and CPM’s
newfound ally arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on February 17th night
and will hold detailed discussions with the Bishops for the next two days.
Thomas is
scheduled to meet Thiruvananthapuram Latin Archbishop Thomas J Netto who had
led the agitation against the Vizhinjam port project. The Latin archdiocese had
led a four-month-long protest against the Vizhinjam seaport project. The Church
heads who were forced to come to the negotiating table after the protests
turned violent, said there were some
grey areas that have to be addressed by the government.
The Church is
not happy with the tardy process of rehabilitation. They also want a share in
the jobs created in Vizhinjam port. The CPM and the government want Thomas to
take the clergy into confidence on contentious issues. Thomas may also visit
the flats constructed under the Punargeham project for fishermen who lost land
and houses to sea erosion. He is also likely to visit the Vizhinjam port site.
A final decision in this regard will be taken after the meeting with the
archbishop.
Thomas is also
scheduled to meet Cardinal Baselios Clemis of Syro Malankara Catholic Church,
and Syro Malabar Catholic Church major archbishop George Alencherry in
Ernakulam.
In
an effort to play down the nature of talks he will have with the church leaders
Mr Thomas told newspersons that it was a courtesy call on them since he took
over office as special representative of the government. |