The Pinarayi Vijayan government is facing a daunting task ahead to implement the GAIL pipeline project with an action committee backed by the local Congress and IUML leadership toughening its stance on the proposed State-owned utility service.
A three-hour conciliatory meeting chaired by Industries Minister A.C. Moideen on Monday failed to yield positive results since the State government and GAIL authorities are against shifting the existing alignment and hiking the prices of land to be acquired to four times the market rates. The government had decided to offer 50% of the fair price under the accordance with the Petroleum and Minerals Pipe Line (Acquisition of Right of Users in Land) Act.
What has provoked the anti-GAIL action committee is the police registering fresh cases against some of the persons charged with attacking police personnel, rioting and damaging public property in connection with the violent incidents last week. They had decided to organise a mass convention in Kozhikode against the illegal occupation of their land.
His balance under threat
Now the skills of the Chief Minister will be under test to deftly balance his vigorously championed big-ticket projects as well as providing relief to the affected families in the region. Already Kerala had declined in the list of States of doing business and attracting investments according to a data released by the Centre. The State had slipped to a miserable 27th position this year compared to 20th last year and 18th in 2015.
Apparently, a determined government had deployed the well-oiled party machinery to counter the propaganda of the anti-GAIL campaigners. A maiden event took off at Mukkom on Wednesday evening with energy expert M.P. Sukumaran Nair explaining the advantages and safety aspects of the GAIL project while CPI (M) Central Committee member and CITU State general secretary Elamaram Karim elucidating the political stand on the issue.
He reiterated that Muslim fundamentalist organisations such as Social Democratic Party of India , Solidarity Youth Movement and Welfare Party of India had been fomenting trouble in the regions by spreading lies with communal overtones.
“Their hold over the Muslim community is very minimal but now they get involved in issues and give a communal twist to blame the CPI (M). The Muslim community in Kerala knows the policy of the party towards minorities,” Mr. Karim told The Hindu on Wednesday.
The agitation that is now getting media attention will fizzle out eventually. “Many of the anti-GAIL protesters had already received the compensation. Some have already submitted documents. The government will resolve any issues that required consideration,” he said.