THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Among the many initiatives undertaken by the VS Achuthanandan-led government from 2006-11, the most remembered one was the legislation to conserve the paddy land and wetland and to restrict its conversion or reclamation. The Act was aimed to promote the state’s agricultural growth and sustain its fragile ecological system.

Enacted in 2008, the Act intended to curb the indiscriminate reclamation and conversion of paddy land and wetland in the state. The legislation also increased the level of awareness in society against the reclamation of wetlands and the need to conserve them.

The legislation was passed after the select committee of the Assembly held 22 sittings across Kerala which were attended by a large number of people. “This Bill received the highest number of suggestions from a wide spectrum of stakeholders and it was also noted internationally,” remembered KP Rajendran, who piloted the Bill as the then Revenue Minister.

Achuthanandan’s detractors would often cite his role in the agitation against computers decades ago. But it was during his tenure as CM that IT exports grew significantly, with the growth even surpassing the national average.

“It should be noted that the three fold growth in IT exports was recorded despite the worst global recession of 2008. Besides, the VS government is credited with adding many new IT parks in the state’s technological landscape and permitting many IT majors to set up base in the state,” said Joseph C Mathew, Achuthanandan’s former IT advisor.

The idea for the first district IT park in Kerala at Kollam was announced in January 2009 when Achuthanandan was CM and was opened on February 15, 2011. The first phase of Koratty IT Park became operational on October 10, 2009. It was launched as the first IT park in Kerala under the “Hub and Spoke Model,” with Infopark Kochi acting as the hub.