Kerala Latin Church plans to strike

The agitation is against the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone.

Kochi:  The Latin Catholic community in Kerala is planning an agitation against the provisions of the state Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification.

The agitation will be led Archbishop Francis Kallarakkal of Verapoly against the CRZ notification, which the Church says threatrn to evict thousands from costal region, mostly Catholics.

The archbishop will inaugurate the Jana Jagarana Jadha initiated by the Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC) at various places in the coastal belt across the state on February 2.

The CRZ notification was one of the major issues discussed at the recently-concluded state conference of the KRLCC.

The Church representatives said that they were only demanding a relaxation for building houses.

“As per the notification, no houses should be constructed within 50 metres from the coast. We only demand for the permission to construct houses of up to 2,000 square feet. We do not want any relaxation for commercial buildings,” said Ebenser Chullikkad, a member of the legal cell of the Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA), Cheranalloor.

He alleged that CRZ notification is relaxed for mega projects like the Koodankulam Nuclear Plant, new Airport in Navi Mumbai and the Petronet LNG Terminal, Kochi.

“We do not understand why the government follows adamant policy when poor people living in the coastal belts seek permission to construct small houses,’’ Chullikkad said.

The Church representatives said that the administrators in the state are yet to understand how the CRZ notification affects the people living along the coastal line.

Source: New Indian Express