Date:08/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/08/stories/2007100857900100.htm

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VS visits site proposed for IIST

Decisions on issues related to Merchiston Estate after discussions

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

On a mission: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan with the Ministers K.P. Rajendran, M.A. Baby and M. Vijayakumar visiting Merchiston Estate in Ponmudi on Sunday where work on a helipad was taken up recently.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan toured the Merchiston and Ponmudi estate areas in the district on Sunday for an on-the-spot assessment of the site sought by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for setting up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST).

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran; Education Minister M.A. Baby; Law Minister M. Vijayakumar; B.N. Suresh, Director of the institute; Chief Secretary P.J. Thomas; and ISRO and State government officials.

Mr. Achuthanandan and his team also visited the old government jersey farm at Adiparambu, near Vithura, an alternative site proposed for the institute.

ISRO officials accompanying the Chief Minister, however, said the site was not suitable, as they needed a high-altitude area for astronomical observations.

At a brief press conference at Ponmudi, the Chief Minister said that decisions on issues related to acquisition of Merchiston Estate (notified earlier as an ecologically fragile area) by Southern Field Ventures and its subsequent sale to ISRO would be taken after discussions. The visit would help in the decision-making.

Mr. Achuthanandan said that he was there to see the estates, the helipad (which was under construction) and nearby Government lands and learn about the area. It would not be realistic if the government took decisions on the issues on the basis of media reports alone. At the estate, he visited the area partially levelled for construction of the helipad. The work was undertaken on the ground that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be arriving there for laying the foundation stone of the institute. Later, he went to the Ponmudi upper sanatorium, about 65 km from Thiruvananthapuram, and had a bird’s eye view of the estates flanked by forests. Then, he came down to the Ponmudi Tourist Resort run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation to address the press conference.