Chandy urges Govt to provide alternate land to ISRO

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 6 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy today urged the State Government to provide 100 acre of land in this district to the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO)to set up its Indian Institute of Space Technology (IIST) here.

Mr Chandy wrote a letter to Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan after the land purchased by the ISRO from a private individual became controversial.

He alleged that though the ISRO had sent a letter to the Revenue Minister requesting 100 acre land on December 15, 2006, the reply from the District Collector was negative.

Stating that only United States and France have such space technology Institutes in the world, Mr Chandy said the Government should initiate efforts to bring the world's third Institute to the State.

The United Democratic Front(UDF) opposes the present deal, as it could not support an individual making huge profit by selling Government land to the ISRO.

Since the ISRO wanted to complete the construction of the new campus within two years, the Government should provide 100 acre of land in the district within three months to the Institute, he added.

UNI