Kerala gives fresh land for Space Institute

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 25 (UNI) In the wake of reports that the Indian Space Research Organisation has rejected the 100 acres of land at Thenur near Ponmudi for setting up the Space Institute, the Kerala Government today proposed an alternative allotment of 70 acres of land near Valiamala.

Talking to reporters after a high-level meeting here last evening Chief Minister V S Achutanandan said the 70 acres of land would be provided near Valiamala apart from the 20 acres of land at the upper sanatorium at Ponmudi for setting up the observatory.

He said the ISRO had agreed to the proposal.

Forest Minister Binoy Vishwam, Law Minister M Vijayakumar Revenue Minister K P Rajendran and Chief Secretary P J Thomas attended the meeting.

Kerala had issued orders for allotting 120 acre of land to ISRO for setting up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) at Ponmudi last week. But there were reports that the ISRO had expressed reservations about the land.

UNI