Thiruvananthpuram:
The famed 'Madre De Deus' Church at Vettucaud, a major Christian pilgrim centre in south Kerala, has got approval under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) for taking up reconstruction work.
This was stated by Shashi Tharoor, who had been following up the matter with the Environment and Forests Ministry for the past several months.
The Catholic shrine is located at the coastal village of Vettukad on the outskirts of the Kerala capital.
The proposal seeking clearance under the CRZ regulations for reconstruction of the church was submitted by the church authorities in 2010.
The matter was subsequently examined by the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry in its meetings during August and September 2011 leading to its recommendation for grant of the CRZ clearance.
In a release issued by Mr Tharoor's constituency office, he said that he was happy that his efforts had yielded results as re-construction of the Vettucaud Church had been a long cherished dream of the parishioners and for all sections, cutting across religious or other barriers.