Oommen Chandy visits Chellanam

KOCHI: Congress leaders led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday visited fishing hamlet Chellanam, which was hit by cyclone Ockhi. The local residents, who have been protesting at the relief camps for the past five days demanding the construction of a seawall, did not allow the local Congress leaders, including Dominic Presentation, to enter the area. Chandy told Chellanam residents the previous UDF Government had initiated steps to build a seawall at Chellanam. "We had conducted a study, and it was estimated  `110 crore was required to construct the seawall," Chandy told reporters here. 

However, it has been found even the initial amount sanctioned was not spent, resulting in a situation that the Chellanam residents still do not have the protective seawall. The protesters were heard saying only Chandy will be permitted to enter the shelter camps while the local Congress leaders will not be allowed to enter the area. Ernakulam DCC president T J Vinod and Hibi Eden MLA also accompanied Chandy. The former Chief Minister left after holding a discussion with the protesters.