The Hindu 07.01.2015
GCDA draws praise for its green thumb
The agency’s example could be emulated across the State, says M. Leelavathy
Literary critic M. Leelavathy inaugurating the harvesting of winter
vegetable farming on the GCDA premises in Kochi on Tuesday.— Photo:
Vipin Chandran
The Greater Cochin Development Authority received an
eminent admirer on Tuesday whose words of praise the civic agency and
its Chairman N. Venugopal could be proud of.
Inaugurating
the winter vegetable harvesting held on the GCDA premises, literary
critic M. Leelavathy praised the agency’s farming initiative as a
culture worth emulating across the State.
“Panchayats
should draw up projects to launch farming in fallow land. This will
help unemployed youth to find jobs and will give all of us
pesticide-free vegetables. It will also help landowners make an earning
by leasing out their land,” she observed. The GCDA had grown cabbage and
cauliflower on its limited space available in its office campus, which
was harvested on Tuesday.
Ms. Leelavathy said that it
sent across a message to work on what little land left available for
farming. Such initiatives alongside all offices would help spread so
much happiness. It will put an end to the consumerist culture of
depending on other States during festival seasons like Onam, she said.
Writer
K.L. Mohana Varma said that in the fight between food and medicines,
such farming initiatives would tilt the balance in favour of food.
Farming
is nothing new to the GCDA as it was the fourth such harvesting event
being celebrated by the agency. The agency had successfully cultivated
paddy, cucumber, besides cabbage and cauliflower over the last one year.
The GCDA is now all set to harvest papaya with 50-odd papayas getting
ripe on its campus. GCDA employees Rajeevan, Salila, and Sindhu who were
behind the agency’s farming initiatives were honoured at the function.
Hibi Eden, MLA, and Opposition Leader in Kochi Corporation K.J. Jacob
were among those present on the occasion.