CPM promises pesticide-free vegetables in Kerala this Onam

KOCHI: At a time when the CPM central committee has highlighted the need for taking up the common man's problems, the Kerala unit of the party is perhaps demonstrating how to do it through its new venture to supply pesticide-free vegetables to the people during this Onam festival season.

As the high pesticide residue levels of the vegetables brought from Tamil Nadu and their associated health risks have become a major cause for concern in the state, the CPM has decided to intervene in the vegetable market by opening 1,000 stalls across the state to sell organic vegetables during Onam festival this week.

"We will supply pesticide-free vegetables and we hope to control the rising prices," said former Member of Parliament and Ernakulam district secretary of CPM P Rajeev. Preparations for the programme started in 2014 itself with the party organising a statelevel workshop on the topic at Thiruvananthapuram. It was followed by another workshop at Kanjikuzy near Alappuzha where the villagers had successfully taken up a similar programme.

The party has asked its members to make use of the project and produce organic vegetables at home. Close to 32,000 party members in Ernakulam have taken up organic vegetable production. "Cutting across party lines, everyone interested in agriculture have come together for the programme," Rajeev said.