No one will be pushed out into the streets in the name of development, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking after launching the construction of the 40 MW Mankulam hydroelectric power project in Idukki district on Friday.
While development projects were unavoidable for the State, the government was committed to ensuring appropriate compensation and resettlement for the affected persons. This policy would be applicable to all development initiatives undertaken in the State, Mr. Vijayan said.
Several private individuals had given their land for the Mankulam hydel project, Mr. Vijayan said, outlining the measures taken for compensating and resettling them. ''People who have given their land for this project have sent across a constructive message to society. It also reveals the faith people have in the development policies of the State government,'' he said.
A project of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), the 40 MW Mankulam hydel project is to be constructed on the Melacheri river which flows through the Mankulam and Adimaly panchayats. It will have an annual generation capability of 82.08 million units (mu). The total land required comes to 80.4 hectares, of which forest land constitute 11.9 hectares, riverbank 15.6 hectares and privately-owned property, 52.94 hectares. Nearly 90% of the land has been acquired.
The Chief Minister formally transferred a shopping complex which will accommodate 29 traders who were affected by the land acquisition for the project. The 714.56 sq.m. complex was constructed at a cost of ₹2 crore.
Underscoring the importance of being self-reliant in power generation, the Chief Minister said the State government was targeting 3,000 MW capability in green energy over the next five years. The government was in the process of giving shape to the Kerala Green Energy Mission with this in mind, he said.
''Only when we can generate power in the State for our domestic, commercial and industrial needs can we say that are self-sufficient,'' he said.
After the current government came to power, electricity projects worth 77.2 MW had been completed, he said. This included hydel projects totaling 14.5 MW, and solar projects to the tune of 62.7 MW. Under the Soura initiative of the KSEB, 1,651 roof-top solar power units having a combined capacity of 11.51 MW had been completed, he said.
