Now, Kerala govt cancels nod for leasing land to EMCC

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government which courted trouble with a politically clumsy tie-up with a US entity for deep-sea trawling is trying to make amends by scrapping a few deals inked in this regard.

Soon after calling off two Memorandum of Understanding with the EMCC (India) International, the government has decided to rescind the earlier nod to allot it four acres of land at the Mega Food Park at Pallipuram, Cherthala.

The land deal has been cancelled close on the heels of the Left Democratic Front government deciding to scrap two MoUs for projects worth Rs 2,950 crore and Rs 5,000 crore investments. The firm had concluded the former deal with the Kerala State Inland Navigation and Shipping Corporation (KSINC) and the latter with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).

With this the government has come out with an official clarification about scrapping all agreements with EMCC. But EMCC president Shiju Varghese told Manorama that the company had also signed another MoU with the government for a Rs 2,250 crore health safety project. However, the government has not responded to his claims yet. During the ASCEND 2020 investors’ meet held in Kochi, the state government had signed this MoU purportedly to implement a major project in the health sector and that includes the building of a multi-speciality hospital.

KSIDC MD M G Rajamanikyam had issued the order regarding the transfer of land to EMCC on February 3 based on the recommendation of the district land allotment committee. The land was allotted at a cost of Rs 1.37 crore per acre for a lease period of 30 years.

At the same time the industries department has clarified that it had not engaged in activities like signing of any agreement for land transfer or for receiving fee.

Government exposed

The government had initially denied any land deal with the EMCC. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had claimed the company had demanded land but had not acquired it. When asked the other day whether the government would review its decision on allotting land, the chief minister had avoided a specific reply.

The increasing unease among the fishermen community and the relentless attack by the Opposition likely forced the government to cancel the MoUs with the EMCC.

The row over the deep-sea trawling project has exposed the state government to opposition charge that the Pinarayi Vijayan administration is inimical to the interests of the fishing community. Reports from the ground indicate that a political storm is raging across the coastal areas of the state over the deep-sea trawling agreement with the US company.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.