Keen to affirm its hold across the Central Travancore region ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the first meeting of the revamped high-power committee of the Kerala Congress (M) here on Sunday sought to highlight its success in addressing settler farmers’ issues.
The meeting, presided over by party chairman Jose K. Mani, MP, emphasised that the regional party had indeed played a key role in addressing the title deed issues faced by the farmers for more than six decades. Terming the amendment brought to the Land Assignment act a proud achievement, the party noted that one of the earliest petitions submitted by the KC(M) parliamentary party to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan pertained to a demand for amending the Act.
Bypassing restrictions
Besides Mr. Vijayan, the meeting also congratulated Revenue Minister K. Rajan and Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, who took the initiative in amending the Act to allow those who were granted title deeds under the 1960 Act to bypass restrictions on land use.
Plans are also afoot to hold Statewide campaign programmes and public conventions to demand amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and delimitation of unscientifically demarcated forest areas. The campaigns’ State-level inauguration will be held at Mundakkayam on September 29.
Eyeing more seats
These moves assume significance as the KC(M) has been working out ways to affirm the party’s hold across the region by demanding an additional seat for the Lok Sabha elections. While Kottayam remains its sitting seat, the regional party is also fancying its chances for an additional seat in Idukki or Pathanamthitta in consideration of its influence among the settler farmers and the Christian electorate.
Briefing the media after the meeting, the KC(M) chairman lashed out at the Union government for its ‘double standards’ in implementing the women’s reservation Bill.
‘Hypocrisy’ in women’s Bill
“That the Bill will have to wait till a redetermination of constituencies and the next census is proof of the Union government’s hypocrisy,” he noted. According to him, the constituencies that have the highest female electorate can be determined based on the voters’ list of 2019 and this way, the Bill could be implemented from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections itself.
The meeting also decided to hold public meetings along the State’s coastline with a demand to implement the Maritime Rights Act. This will be followed up with the staging of the Maritime Rights Declaration Conference.
