Sudheeran demands withdrawal of order exempting Hope Plantation from purview of LR Act.

Thiruvananthapuram: KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran has come out strongly against the Cabinet decision to exempt 1303 acres in possession of Hope Plantation in Idukki district from the provisions of the Land Reforms Act and demanded that the order issued on the basis of the decision should be withdrawn.

In a letter to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the KPCC president said that the decision had caused loss to the government running into crores of rupees.

Mr. Sudheeran noted that the Perumedu Taluk Land Board had identified 1303.72 acres in possession of the Plantation in Peerumedu taluk as excess land as back as in 1976. Though the Plantation had gone on appeal, the High Court as well as the Supreme Court had upheld the finding of the Board.

The LDF as well as the UDF government had issued orders on August 3, 2010 and December 17, 2004 respectively to take over the land. However, the Plantation filed a case before High Court pointing out certain defects in the orders. The Court directed the government on August 22, 2014 to consider the application of the company under Section 81(3) of the Land Reforms Act and take decision.

Accordingly, the Cabinet considered the matter on December 17, 2015 and decided to exempt the land from the provisions of the Act. Orders in this regard were issued on February 20, 2016. Thus, the government had parted with land worth crores of rupees in favour of the Planation.

Mr. Sudheeran noted that the Court had directed the government only to consider the application. There was no directive that the Plantation should be exempted from the purview of the Land Reforms Act.

The KPCC president has posted his letter on his facebook page today. He has also posted his letter to the Chief Minister seeking withdrawal of the notification exempting Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau from the purview of the Right to Information Act.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Congress leaders who met at the residence of Minister K. C. Joseph has decided not to take an open stand against Mr. Sudheeran’s campaign against some of the recent government orders favouring people in possession of government land and notification issued to prevent disclosure of vigilance enquiries against present and former Ministers and All India Service officers.

Member of the Assembly T. N. Pratapan has expressed support for Mr. Sudheeran's stand. He also said that he would not be contesting in this election.

Letters of V. M. Sudheeran to Chief Minister (in Malayalam)