The Varapetty farmer whose banana plants were chopped down by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) employees would be compensated, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty said on Monday. The government will treat it as a ‘‘special case’‘ considering the humanitarian aspects of the matter, he said.
At the same time, KSEB officials have reported that the plants were chopped down to prevent accidents as they were planted under the Idukki-Kothamangalam 220 kV transmission line, the Minister said.
The KSEB action, which reportedly led to the destruction of several hundred banana plants at Varapetty near Muvattupuzha, had triggered an uproar, prompting the government to act.
The transmission line was damaged on August 4. A subsequent examination revealed that some of the plants, which were quite close to the line, had caught fire. It was also reported that a local resident, a woman, had sustained a mild electric shock. KSEB officials had cut down the plants as the line needed to be charged to evacuate power from the Idukki hydel project, according to the Minister.
The director (Transmission) has been tasked with discussing the matter with Agriculture department officials and taking appropriate action, said Mr. Krishnankutty.
Agriculture Minister P. Prasad termed the incident unfortunate and said that the farmer should be compensated for the loss. Mr. Prasad has written to Mr. Krishnankutty seeking compensation for the farmer.
