THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Despite the state govt handing over required land and assure full support, the Centre's decision to opt out of the Coast Guard Academy project at Azhikkil, marks its unjust and neglectful attitude towards Kerala, said the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Minister of state for Defence informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday that Centre dropped the project after failing to get clearances pertaining to Environment and Costal Regulation Zone(CRZ) from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC).
On 2 July, 2018 the Centre made amendments to the 2011 CRZ notification. The centre also released notification regarding the amendment. In his talks held with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Pinarayi had cited this aspect.
As per the changes introduced, environment and coast regulatory clearances can be issued to defence and security establishments . Given the possibility, the Centre’s present decision is most unfortunate, said CM.
The Centre decided on setting up Coast Guard Academy in 2009. In 2011, the state govt handed over 164 acres of land at Valapattanam along the Arabian coast. The then defence minister laid founding stone to the academy in 2011. In 2015, the state govt submitted its recommendation to CRZ, seeking environment clearances for the project.
The Chief Minister also met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence Minister in person to urge speedy expedition of project. On the govt’s part, it assured full cooperation to the Centre in this regard. The latest decision thus comes as an unexpected blow.
The Centre should review this unjustifiable decision and procure necessary clearances based on 2018 amendments, Pinarayi demanded. He was addressing a prese conference in the capital on Tuesday.
