Chennithala demands action against cooperative society for auctioning tribal’s land

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded that action should be taken against Kasaragod District Cooperative Housing Society which had auctioned off the land and house of a tribal family for pittance.

In a letter to the Minister for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe A. K. Balan, the Opposition Leader said that matter should be seen as a land grab. Case should also be taken for atrocity against a tribal.

Mr. Chennithala noted that the Society had pauperised the family of Rajan at Nileswram through their action. The Society had auctioned off land costing Rs. 30000 a cent for just over Rs. 3000 a cent, according to information reaching here.

The auction was on account of a loan for Rs. 20000 taken by Mr. Rajan in 2002. He had repaid Rs. 8410. Still, the society auctioned off 25 cents of land for collecting an amount of Rs. 77913 including interest.  This was done when there were debt relief schemes, the benefit of which could have been extended to the family.