Thiruvananthapuram 25-11-2011 : The Kuttanad prosperity council which met here today proposed for notifying Kuttanad a Global Agricultural Heritage Zone for reviving the farm sector and preserving the true tradition of the area. All the suggestions of the council meeting including this would be considered in the next cabinet meeting, said Finance Minister K M Mani after the meeting.
Another proposal of the council is to appoint a senior officer for the implementation of the project. This will help better coordination among various departments. Regarding bund construction it has been decided that even though earthen bunds should be given priority concrete and stone bunds should also be considered where the earthen bunds are not found feasible.
The meeting also decided to give top priority for the deepening and revival work of the Alappuzha- Chenganassery canal. Irrigation Minister P J Joseph informed that irrigation projects worth Rs 700 crore had been sanctioned under the package.
Prof M S Swaminathan who was also present in the meeting said that the main objective of the package was to revive the paddy sector. Availability of funds would not be a problem but it needed better coordination, he said. Agriculture Minister K P Mohanan, MLAs Dr T M Thomas Issac, Thomas Chandy, C F Thomas, K Ajith, A M Arif, Additional Chief Secretaty K Jayakumar, Agricultural Unicversity Vice Chancellor K R Viswambharan, expert from Swaminathan Foundation Balaravi and others attended the meeting.
