Kerala CM writes to PM against shifting of Coast Guard academy

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the move to shift the proposed Coast Guard Academy in Kannur district to Mangaluru in Karnataka.  

The Centre should drop such an "unjustified move", which was against Kerala's interests, Vijayan said in a letter to Modi, the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

The state government had already transferred 164 acres of land for the Academy besides spending about Rs 65.56 crore for providing infrastructure facilities, he said.

Pointing out that the area in Irinive in Kannur district was a rich storehouse of mangrove cultivation, the Union Environment and Forest Ministry had declined permission for construction activities.

However, about 50 acres of land, where there was no mangrove cultivation, was available for construction activities, the Chief Minister said. In this circumstances, the Prime Minister should send a special team from the Ministry to visit the area and take necessary steps to give clearance for the project, he said.