KOCHI: Even as the State Budget released on Monday proclaimed that an ‘acceptable’ rehabilitation package is underway for the evictees at Moolampilly, hundreds of affected families are yet to be properly rehabilitated.“The rehabilitation project is indeed underway. The problem is that it has been so for a long time now. In the past nine months, the project has not developed much and none of the benefits have reached the ones who were actually affected. The only relief for the evictees is that the government is paying them the rent. By doing that, the government is only providing a temporary relief to the evictees,” said social activist C R Neelakandan.“Interestingly enough, the proclamation of the Finance Minister came on the fourth anniversary of the official notification of the Moolampilly Rehabilitation Package. Out of the 326 families who were announced as the beneficiaries of the package, only 16 have been able to move into their own homes. The rest of the families are yet to be rehabilitated properly as the land allotted to them lacked the basic facility such as electricity, water and roads. Another aspect that was announced in the package was that the evictees will be provided with jobs under the Vallarpadam project. However, no measures have been taken to ensure this,” said Francis Kulathungal, convener, Moolampilly Rehabilitation Action Council.Meanwhile, the District Administration cleared the six month rent arrears of 215 families under the Moolampilly Rehabilitation Package on Monday. “The project is progressing smoothly. The water pipe laying works in the Vaduthala plot are over and the road work is underway there. The work is expected to be completed by the end of this month. The work to provide basic facilities is progressing in the other centres as well,” said Mohandas Pillai, Deputy Collector (land acquisition).
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