Muttom residents to stage stir today

Kochi: Local residents in Muttom who had handed over land for the Kochi Metro project will hold protest before the yard on Friday demanding immediate allocation of compensation as promised earlier. “As per the deal arrived with the metro authorities two years back, those who had handed over 10 cents or more land will be allocated five cents inside the metro village and those who had parted away with five cents or more will get two cents in return. However, the promises are yet to be fulfilled even as the metro commercial activities are set to begin in another two week’s time,” K A Aliyar, Convenor, Metro Landowners Samiti, said.

The landowners warned to intensify the protest in the coming days if the metro authorities fail to take immediate measures. “The promise was that the land will be given in return and the same will not fall under the Wetland Rules. We’ll stage a dharna before the yard from 10 am on Friday. If they fail to address our concern, the strike will be intensified,” said K K Sivanandan, a resident of Choornikkara panchayat.

Last month, local residents held protest demanding jobs in the Muttom Yard facility of the Kochi Metro similar to CIAL modal. The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd officials, however, said the local residents were raising such a demand for the first time and that the majority of the unskilled jobs had been handed out to Kudumbashree workers.