Latest news with #KeralaLatinCatholicAssociation
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Families drown in debt under relocation project
Thiruvananthapuram: The Punargeham project, launched by the state govt to relocate coastal families living within 50m of the high-tide line, has left hundreds of beneficiaries trapped in debt, with many forced to sell their newly built homes. Under the scheme, each family received Rs 10 lakh to purchase land and construct a home. However, the amount proved insufficient, forcing most families to seek additional funds. With nationalized and private banks often refusing loans—especially for small landholdings—many turned to private moneylenders who charged exorbitant interest rates. As a result, several families are now attempting to sell their homes just to escape the financial burden. So far, 667 families along the coast in the district have received the funds, while 4,116 applications remain pending. The govt's rule that imposes 18% interest on those who fail to complete construction within 12 months worsened the crisis, pushing more families towards high-interest borrowing. Beneficiaries were identified through a district-level survey. "Nearly 400 of the 667 families are now in a debt trap," said Suresh Peter, president of the Kerala Latin Catholic Association in Valiyathura. He urged the govt to raise the assistance to Rs 20 lakh to prevent further distress. Valiyathura resident Benedict Mary, 40, lost her home at Kochuthoppu to sea erosion in 2019. Initially grateful for the Rs 10 lakh grant, she said the experience has been devastating. "I used the money to buy two cents of land at Kuzhivilakam. Since banks refused me a loan as the plot was too small, I was forced to borrow Rs 15 lakh from a private lender at an interest rate of Rs 2,000 per month for every lakh. That meant paying Rs 30,000 in interest alone every month. There were times my husband couldn't go fishing, and we struggled to make the payments. We even borrowed more money just to pay the interest. We're drowning in debt now, and our attempts to sell the house have also failed. We once had a home—but this govt aid has become a curse in our lives," said Benedict. However, fisheries department joint director (south zone) Santhosh Kumar S said the crisis stemmed from poor financial planning. "The govt addressed a real issue by helping coastal families relocate from erosion-prone areas. We advised building houses between 350 and 500sq ft. But many chose to build larger homes and landed themselves in trouble," he said.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Police file case over alleged obstruction during Chellanam protest march
Kochi: Thoppumpady police on Saturday registered a case against 10 individuals, including clergy members and community representatives of Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA), in connection with a protest march organized by residents of coastal areas from Chellanam to Fort Kochi. The protest, led by Latin catholic priests, was part of a long-standing agitation demanding comprehensive sea wall protection for the vulnerable coastline. According to police, the case was filed for alleged obstruction of public movement and violation of traffic regulations during the protest. The accused, with the general intent of obstructing public transportation and movement, gathered under the leadership of CARE Chellanam - Kochi and Kerala Region Latin Catholic activists to protest the failure to install tetrapods. Around 5,000 people, led by the accused, unlawfully assembled and conducted a procession from Thoppumpady Parippu Junction to near BOT bridge, stated the FIR. However, the move sparked sharp criticism from KLCA. In a strongly worded statement, KLCA state committee termed it "false case" against peaceful protesters. They alleged that the police action was an attempt to intimidate the movement and its leaders by branding them as accused. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo KLCA office-bearers claimed that the protest march was spontaneous, with a large number of coastal residents joining to express solidarity. They argued that the charges are baseless and demanded immediate withdrawal of the case and an apology from those responsible for the action. The community leaders reiterated that real focus should be on resolving the issue of inadequate coastal protection, not on suppressing citizen-led demonstrations.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Priests stage hunger strike demanding tetrapod sea wall to protect Kannamaly-Fort Kochi coastline
Priests under the Alappuzha and Kochi dioceses staged a hunger strike near the BOT Bridge at Thoppumpady on Friday demanding that the government allocate funds to construct a tetrapod sea wall to protect the Puthenthodu (in Kannamaly)-Fort Kochi coastline where sea incursion has become common. This comes in the wake of damage to houses due to rampant sea incursion in the region and also the perilous life that residents there lead. The agitation that began at 10 a.m. concluded by 5 p.m. The priests demanded urgent allocation of funds and steps to construct a sea wall in the corridor on a war footing, taking into account the grave threat to the life of residents. Hundreds of coastal residents and others participated in two rallies, one from Palluruthy and another from Thoppumpady, which was taken out on Friday evening to the venue of the hunger strike. The rallies were flagged off by secretary general of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) Fr. Thomas Tharayil and State president of Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) Sherry J. Thomas. Director of Kripasanam Fr. V.P. Joseph Valiyaveetil inaugurated a rally that was taken out by the agitating priests from Thoppumpady to the venue of the fast in the morning. The hunger strike and other agitations are being mainly led by the Kannamaly-based Care Chellanam-Kochi, an NGO. The rampant sea incursion and the subsequent inundation of houses and other buildings began following the destruction of a sea wall that had been built there, following the Okhi Cyclone in 2017. A slew of agitations followed, and the government allotted ₹340 crore to build a 12-km-long sea wall northward from the Chellanam fishing harbour. But the sea wall was built only on a 7.35-km stretch, leaving the rest of the stretch all the way up to Fort Kochi vulnerable to sea incursion. The net result was that people were even unable to sleep in peace, the NGO said in a release. With the government not taking steps to build rest of the sea wall as had been promised, the Alappuzha and Kochi dioceses decided to mobilise the affected coastal residents and intensify their agitation, beginning with the hunger strike. Friday's fast was inaugurated by Joseph Jude, vice president of Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC). Socio-political leaders and people from different walks of life addressed the agitating priests. The valedictory of the agitation was inaugurated by Bishop of Kottapuram Ambrose Puthenveetil.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why is Kerala govt reluctant to file case over shipwreck, asks opposition leader VD Satheesan
Kozhikode/Kochi: Opposition leader VD Satheesan has strongly criticized the state govt's reluctance to register a case in shipwreck-related incidents, including the sinking of MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast, calling it a deviation from the precedent set by other states. Satheesan pointed out that the standard practice in such situations has been to take legal action to secure maximum compensation for those affected. However, in the case of MSC ELSA 3, the state appears unwilling to act, he said. "In all similar past incidents, states have filed for compensation and used the funds to support the victims. Why are the chief minister and the chief secretary now hesitant to take action against the shipping company? This needs to be explained," Satheesan said. Shipwreck incidents a major concern for coastal folk: Latin Catholics' body Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) on Monday said that criminal cases should be filed in connection with the recent shipping accidents. KLCA stated that the state and central govts should be prepared to provide compensation to fisherfolk and coastal residents through P&I (Protection and Indemnity) insurance provisions. KLCA said that the repeated occurrence of ship accidents near the Kerala coast is causing concern among coastal residents and disrupting the livelihood of fisherfolk. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Authorities should release accurate information about the environmental impact of these accidents. Legal actions, including criminal cases, should be initiated considering the environmental issues caused along the Kerala coast, KLCA said. Compensation for the damages caused should be assessed and made available to coastal residents and workers through Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance provisions. The state and central govts should be ready to initiate the necessary steps for this, said KLCA. The community organisations stated that a marine casualty investigation should be conducted to accurately report the environmental impact. "Authorities have not yet started to conduct such investigations for the MSC ELSA-3 shipwreck. If a similar indifferent approach is taken regarding the Wan Hai 503 ship incident, strong protests may arise in the coastal region," said KLCA state committee president Sherry J Thomas and general secretary Biju Josy.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Ship accidents off Kerala coast: KLCA, fishers seek registration of criminal cases, compensation
Expressing deep concern at the spree of recent ship accidents that are occurring along the Kerala coast, the latest being the sinking of a container ship off Alappuzha and the raging fire on board another one off Beypore, the State committee of the Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) has demanded prompt registration of criminal cases and payment of adequate compensation to fishers and other coastal residents who are affected by these accidents. These two aspects are crucial since the two accidents have resulted in widespread loss of livelihood options for fishers and innumerable others. In addition, there is also the looming threat of pollution to the marine ecosystem, following the sinking and fire incidents. In this situation, the State and Central governments must release scientific data regarding the extent of pollution due to the two incidents, especially along the Kerala coast. As part of this, a marine casualty investigation must be conducted to assess the extent of pollution and its environmental impact, Sherry J. Thomas, president of KLCA, and Biju Josey, its general secretary, demanded. The State and Central governments must finalise compensation to fishers and other coastal residents under the protection and indemnity (P and I) insurance provisions. Sadly, a full-fledged probe is yet to be conducted into the sinking of Liberia-flagged MSC Elsa 3 that sank off Alappuzha on May 25 and the pollution caused by the incident. Any delay in probing and publishing the incident, and the yet-to-be doused massive fire on board Singapore-flagged Wan Hai 503 that has been raging since Monday off Beypore, will result in strong agitations along the State's entire coast, they said. The two vessels were carrying huge quantities of hazardous and flammable cargo, apart from hundreds of tonnes of different types of oil. The Kerala Matsyathozhilali Aikya Vedi (affiliated to TUCI) has, in the meantime, expressed dismay at the 'pitiable' compensation of ₹1,000 per month that the State government has offered to fishers affected by the sinking of MSC Elsa 3, and the delay in registering a case against its owners. 'This is nothing but an effort to 'lighten' the impact of the accident. The government must take a cue from governments abroad that give compensation which is often two to three times the cost of such ships. Moreover, it is not yet clear whether a committee that had been formed in the wake of the sinking of MSC Elsa 3, held discussions with the shipping firm MSC that owned the vessel,' said Charles George, State president of the Vedi. He added that workers who had been deputed for coastal clean-up in the wake of plastic and other waste from the sunk ship that were washed ashore had not been provided protective gear, not even gloves. It is also to be seen how plastic pellets that have accumulated in between stones and granite boulders along the coast would be cleared. In this situation, the government must constitute a team of experts to assess the health and environmental impacts in the wake of the ship sinking and ship fire incidents. This is because fishes and other marine life are vulnerable to pollution due to the incidents, Mr. George said.
