People evicted from Moolampilly have petitioned the Kerala Government demanding rehabilitation and compensation. The petitions were submitted during the recent Navakerala Sadas in Ernakulam district. Navakerala Sadas is a part of the Kerala Government’s outreach programme.
It has been a long wait for those who were evicted to make way for providing road and rail connectivity to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal in Kochi. They have waited nearly 16 years for the execution of a compensation package. In fact, 34 evictees died without receiving compensation. In 2018, the then LDF government, on March 19, announced a package in the face of stiff protests in the aftermath of the forceful eviction at Moolampilly on February 6 the same year.
“It was decided that the evictee will submit applications in their individual capacity rather than under the aegis of the coordination committee. The applications were submitted during the Navakerala Sadas in Vypeen, Ernakulam and Kalamassery Assembly constituencies held in December. Apart from an acknowledgement [of receiving the petitions], there has been no response,” Francis Kalathungal, general convener of the Moolampilly Coordination Committee, said.
