Seeking promised jobs, Moolampilly evictees in Kerala to go for mass submission of applications in protest

Moolampilly evictees in Kerala to go for mass submission of applications in protest seeking promised jobs

Stepping up its protest for the implementation of the Moolampilly rehabilitation package, the Moolamppilly Coordination Committee is set to organise on May 20 a mass submission of job applications by eligible job aspirants among the families evicted for the rail and road connectivity of the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) project.

A government order issued by the then Principal Secretary, Revenue, in connection with the rehabilitation package on March 19, 2008 had promised that one person each from the evicted families would be given job based on their educational qualification.

“Port Trust would take necessary further action for providing employment to one member of each family evicted for construction of rail/road connectivity for the International Container Transshipment Terminal, according to their qualification,” the order read.

As many as 316 families were evicted from seven villages for the project in 2008. The Moolamppilly Coordination committee had demanded the implementation of the order at the meeting of the monitoring committee chaired by the District Collector for the implementation of the rehabilitation package. Following this, the Collector had officially conveyed it to the Revenue department.

Since it evoked little response, job aspirants from the evicted families have now decided to apply to the Cochin Port Trust, which helmed the implementation of the ICTT project, through the Collector.

The evicted families have not yet received the fruits of the economic benefits of the project, even though the first phase was commissioned as long ago as February 2011.

The committee in a statement issued here said the ICTT has over 800 jobs of permanent nature. However, not a single job has gone to eligible candidates from the evicted families so far. It pointed out that the district administration, which forcibly evicted families in 2008, had not since shown the same urgency in the implementation of the rehabilitation package.