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The Kerala government has decided to drop the Cochin industrial water supply scheme and the Kanjikode industrial water supply scheme utilising the Periyar and Malampuzha waters, respectively, from the list of projects to be showcased at the Global Investors' Meet slated to be held in Kochi on January 18 and 19.
The decision to drop these two water supply projects for the time being has been taken following stiff resistance from a section of the intelligentsia, environmentalists and media as well as the Left Democratic Front, which is the main Opposition party.
Meanwhile, some left extremist outfits have threatened to disrupt the mega investors' summit at any cost.
Poraatam, a Maoist organisation led by former Naxalite leader M N Ravunni, which controls three other outfits representing adivasis and tribals, has put up posters urging people to stall the proposed GIM.
Maintaining that the proposed investors summit is an attempt by the state government to sell out Kerala to multinational corporations, activists of Adivasi Pada, which functions under the nodal organisation Poraattam, defaced hoardings of GIM at various places in Kochi.
Campaigning against the GIM, another leftist organisation Red Flag has announced its decision to conduct a march to the venue of the meet on January 18, along with other organisations opposing GIM.
Other than the water supply schemes, some of the other projects opposed by these organisations include the sea sand mining project as well as plans to sell off 25 hectare of land reclaimed by the Goshree Island Development Authority at a cost of Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.50 billion).