Kerala to have complete water transport in 2 yrs

Thiruvananthapuram, May 19: Kerala Chief Minister V S Achutanandan today said the first phase of water way in Kerala would be operational in three months.

He was speaking here at a programme 'Oru Varsham,Varum Varsham' (one year-coming year) organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club on the occasion of the completion of the first year of the Left Democratic Front government in the state.

In the first phase, the Kollam-Kottapuram water way would be completed in three months. The entire state would come under water way once the Kovalam-Kollam stretch was completed in two years, he said and added the government intended to complete the project during its tenure.

Mr Achutanandan said in the industrial sector his government would attract more investments. Not only the Information Technology all other sectors were given equal priority, he said.

''After the Smart City agreement was signed, many proposals have come from various places, including the US. We have told them that there were many other places in the state apart from Kochi, where IT could be developed,'' he said and added that IT parks would be established in all the district.

In the coming two years the government would provide two lakh houses to those who did not have a shelter, he said.

He said the governmment was thinking of new ventures with the involvement of Non Reident Keralities. During the last one year, the LDF government had tried to redress the grievences of the farmers.

The Farmers Debt Relief Fund was a move in this regard, he said.

In the Higher Education sector, the government had tried to bring social justice by bringing in the Kerala Self Professional Colleges Act. But unfortunately it could not be implemented because of the Court's intervention. The government was trying for a consensus with the Self Financing professional managements, Mr Achutananadan said.

UNI