Palakkad | January 25, 2016:

People’s representatives and political party leaders who attended a high-level review meeting convened by Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson at Agali on Sunday on welfare measures initiated in Attappady, demanded early lifting of the ban on quarrying and mining in the region.

They said the ban had crippled the construction sector there.

Lifting of the ban would facilitate construction of 3,000 houses sanctioned by the State government for impoverished tribespeople.

However, there was no discussion on the issues confronting the tribal community such as poverty, malnutrition, neo-natal deaths, land alienation, and lack of access to safe drinking water.

The Chief Secretary also convened a meeting of officials working in the area. Mr. Thomson had earlier visited the Government Tribal Specialty Hospital at Kottathara and talked to the employees about the inadequacies there. He also visited the Kavundikkal tribal settlement.

Block panchayat president Easwary Resan, district panchayat member C. Radhakrishnan, and sub-collector P.B. Nooh were present.

(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)