Government returns excess land

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Tuesday that government decision to exempt 127.5 acre at Madathupady in Kodungalloor and at Puthenvelikkara Paravur taluks from Land Reforms Act would be withdrawn if government action was illegal.

The land, taken over as excess land, was returned to a Bangalore based company on the assurance that it would be used only for entrepreneurial purpose.  The government order had conditions to prevent misuse of the land, he said.

However, KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran has written to the Chief Minister demanding that the decision should be withdrawn.  Member of Assembly T. N. Prathapan has called for a vigilance enquiry into it.

The allegations are that the land was purchased with godman Santosh Madhavan, a convict, as middleman. The company had promised creation of creation of 20000 to 30000 jobs through IT development. However, the real objective could be real estate development. Besides, the land in question was paddy fields and it was illegal to reclaim that.