Kerala: Coca-Cola Company proposes returning 35 acres of land to govt

Thiruvananthapuram:  Multinational beverage firm Coca-Cola Company has offered to return 35 acres of land that it possesses at Plachimada in Palakkad district to the Kerala government.

Juan Pablo Rodriguez Trovato, Chief Executive Officer of the Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Private Limited, sent a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informing him the company's decision to hand over the property and the building there to the state, a CMO statement has said.

The ruling Left front has already begun negotiations to release the land for a proposed farmer producer organisation (FPO) to be launched soon under the leadership of farmers.

The beverage manufacturer was finally ready to transfer the land at the outset of the negotiations held under Power Minister K Krishnankutty, it said.

The company also offered to provide technical assistance for the construction of a demo farm for the farmers there, the CMO added in a late evening release on Thursday.

Coca-Cola closed down its unit at Plachimada in March 2004 following agitation by local people complaining of environment pollution and exploitation of groundwater by the company.