THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty has announced that 3.5 lakh rupees will be given as financial assistance to the farmer KO Thomas in the incident where banana trees were cut down claiming they were grazing 220 kV power transmission line above his farm. The amount was fixed in a meeting with Agriculture Minister P Prasad yesterday. The amount will be handed over to Thomas on Chingam 1.

The KSEB employees axed the banana plants last Friday. Anish, son of Thomas, said nearly 406 plantains were felled by the KSEB employees. Anish said that they have been growing plantains for years and the KSEB officials cut down the trees without any prior warning. About half an acre of plantains were cut down. Thomas said that there was a loss of four lakh rupees.

Meanwhile, KSEB is claiming that the banana trees were cut down to solve the Idukki Kothamangalam 220 KV line fault. When the wind blew, some of the banana trees caught fire. A woman who lives nearby suffered a minor electric shock. The banana trees were cut down to avoid further danger, a KSEB official said.