The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) sold small plots totalling 116 cents during the last four-and-a-half years, said the outgoing chairman N. Venugopal. He justified the move claiming that scattered parcels of GCDA land were increasingly in danger of alienation.
“Such plots either turn into waste dumping grounds or are usurped by encroachers. Holding on to such plots serves no purpose and hence the decision to sell such isolated small plots,” Mr. Venugopal said. For instance, about 25 cents near the Collectorate in Kakkanad have been encroached by multiple families who have built around eight houses there. It would not be easy to evict them.
Another 20 cents near Maradu has been under encroachers for almost two decades now while environmentalists had objected to the cutting of useless trees on 1.50 acres of GCDA land in Kakkanad, making it vulnerable to encroachment. Moves to recover 80 cents allotted to a private club in Kadavanthra had also run into obstacles.
Mr. Venugopal said he had no prick of conscience in positively responding to requests of land from a nationalised insurance company and housing societies of judges and civil servants. While the insurance company had requested 35 cents, the two societies had asked for 80 cents and 60 cents respectively.
State government to take final call
“The executive committee had forwarded the proposal to the State government, which has to take a final call. The committee initially discussed whether to consider the requests, fixed a rate as decided by the Revenue Department and then forwarded it to the government for approval,” he said. The GCDA has the mandate to buy, sell and develop land. “Why didn’t anyone object when the GCDA gave over one acre for free to St. Albert’s College in lieu of the land taken over by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited?” he asked.
