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Thiruvananthapuram, 06/03/02009: The Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF), Kerala Tourism Watch,Kerala United Fisheries Forum,Alleppy, KABANI – the other direction in joint press release demands a transparent, democratic and participatory public hearing on the artificial reef project, Kovalam.

It is regrettable that Kerala Tourism has not yet officially responded to the proposal to hold a public hearing made by various local and international organizations including Fish Workers on the issue of the construction of artificial reef for tourism using funds set apart for the rehabilitation of Tsunami victims. The government has not, until date, communicated to the community groups and civil society organizations in the state regarding its willingness to hold even mandatory consultations with local people. This has led to a renewed demand for the hearing.

While any willingness to hold a Public hearing is a welcome sign, we believe it is also important to set mutually agreeable norms and protocols of a public hearing. Looking at the record of public hearings in the past, there are reasons to be skeptical of its usefulness unless there is a meaningful consensus on the form and substance of the hearing. Our prime concern at this stage would be to see that the meeting will be transparent, democratic and participatory. It is important that Kerala Tourism should hold the meeting in a genuinely democratic manner that will not defeat the purpose of the hearing. Public Hearing should be an open consultation in which community leaders and their representatives have the opportunity to make submissions, ask questions or register objections to the proposed fund diversion.

The Department should give notice of the public hearing by announcing it in all Newspapers and through local bodies. They should prepare a report containing an overview of the project and the specific recommendation to be discussed. A public hearing can be justified only if civil society is represented in the control panel and in the committee that will submit the final report of the hearing to the government. The option to participate in the process from the planning stage itself should be open to community representatives. Or else, the predictable outcome will be yet another farcical hearing and a mockery of participatory decision making. Besides the narrow agenda of a public hearing on the “construction of artificial reef” we believe that it is also necessary to commission a Tribunal to discuss the larger issue of Tsunami Fund diversion in Kerala.

Given that there are strong objections to the undemocratic manner in which Public hearings have been organized in the recent cases of Athirappilly Hydro electric Project , Cement factory in Kodungalloor, Pathrakkadavu Project etc., leading to manipulative official reporting , subsequent litigation and protests by local communities, we urge the Government to call an immediate meeting of Fish workers Organizations, Civil society groups and coastal community leaders to discuss the agenda and structure of the hearing if the Government is serious about their own commitment to the cause of democratic decision making.

Kerala Tourism Watch
Kerala Swathathra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF)
Kerala United Fisheries Forum, Allappuzha,
KABANI – the other direction

OR contact
Sajeer Abdul Rahman: + 91 9447218282, Renu Henry: + 91 9846585439
E mail : tourismwatch.kerala@gmail.com OR kabanitour@yahoo.com,