The Kizhakkambalam panchayat has refuted the allegations levelled against it by the Kitex Group. At a press conference at the Press Club here on Monday, panchayat president Jolly Baby said it is a deliberate move in the name of a new investment to divert the attention from the pollution caused by the existing company, though they have no plans for starting any new business.
Kitex Group MD Sabu M Jacob had said the other day that their company had decided to shift the proposed Rs 262 crore apparel park from Kizhakkambalam, which would have provided 4,000 jobs, and alleged the non-corporation of the panchayat behind the move.
“The management had not submitted any application, for constructing a new building, to the panchayat. They need a permit from the panchayat for installing machinery too. It is clear that the company had lied regarding the cancellation of machinery ordered for the new business,” Jolly said.
She also added that even though the panchayat administration had issued several notices to the company authorities, they had not taken any action to bring down the pollution levels. “The Pollution Control Board (PCB) had found that chemical waste and human excreta from the company had been deposited in three ponds in the company compound,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sabu M Jacob dismissed the charges of the panchayat as baseless. “The PCB will submit its report of inquiry before the court on October 4. I am confident of getting justice from the court. The company is not causing any pollution problems in the area,” Sabu told ‘Express’.
“One of the members of the panchayat has an issue with the company. Hence they took 11 months to consider the application to set up the security complex. If the panchayat took 11 months for considering an application for just 6,458 square feet, what would be its response for my new investment which would come around 15,000 square feet,” he asked.
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