Kasaragod, July 21: The years' long concerted effort to set up the proposed government arts and science college for Uduma segment at Kanhiradukkam has suffered a setback with the authorities deciding to locate the institution at Kuniya, near Periye, adjacent to the National Highway.
The change in location comes despite the State Cabinet, in its February 26 meeting, deciding to set up the college on 15 acres of revenue land allotted by the district administration at Kanhiradukkam eight months ago, Kanhiradukkam Vikasana Samiti secretary Raghu Choolikkad said.
Setting up the college at Kanhiradukkam in Puloor village would have benefited students from the neighbouring Bedakam, Iriya, and Kodom areas, which are better linked by road to Kanhiradukkam, and helped removed the area's backwardness, he said.
The action committee office-bearers who had taken up the issue with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy during his visit to the district on Friday were urged to arrive at a compromise with the rival stakeholders' who wanted to see the college come up at Kuniya, adjacent to the upcoming Central University of Kerala campus at Periye.
However, Mr. Kunhiraman refuted the claim made by the action committee. He said the decision was taken after arriving at a consensus with the local bodies falling under his constituency.
The action committee members at Kanhiradukkam, a known United Democratic Front pocket, accused the CPI(M) MLA of succumbing to the pressure exerted by the local Indian Union Muslim League leadership to relocate the college to Kuniya, which has a sizeable Muslim population. They also claimed that Left party activists in Panayal village were backing the decision.
The meeting at the Collectorate also urged the Plantation Corporation of India authorities to allot 7.5 acres of land for the college, lending a serious blow to the action committee's aspirations.
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