A tug of war is raging between the Revenue Department and the Thrikkakara municipality over the ownership of a prime six-acre land worth around Rs.120 crore right in the heart of the emerging IT hub.
Now, the Thrikkakara Residents’ Association Apex Council (TRAAC) has thrown its hat into the ring with its office-bearers approaching the District Collector with a demand that no agency should be given unbridled right to the property.
Even by a conventional estimate of around Rs.20 lakh per one cent, the value of the revenue ‘poramboke’ land would come to about Rs.120 crore.
A portion of the land has been allocated to a Cooperative Hospital and the district panchayat and the rest of the land is yet to be assessed by the revenue authorities.
Ownership claims
It all started with the Thrikkakara municipality laying claim to the land already used by it for operating its plastic shredding unit and dumping waste. The civic body even proposed a project for a municipal complex on the land and made an initial allocation of Rs.10 crore.
Soon, the Revenue Department sprung into action claiming the ownership of the land and promptly putting up boards announcing its ownership. The municipality responded by fencing the property and somehow the Revenue Department’s boards disappeared following which the department put up new boards.
“We are trying to procure a government order allocating the land to us and have approached the Revenue Minister to set up a municipal office-cum-bus terminal there. No one else can be allocated the land without our approval since the local body concerned has the first right of claim in case of ‘poramboke’ lands within its limits. The allocation to the cooperative hospital and the district panchayat was illegal in this sense,” said K.K. Neenu, Thrikkakara municipal chairperson.
Report sought
The taluk authorities have sought a report from the Village Officer on the land following a directive from the Minister. “Until the government formally allocates the land no one can claim it. We have asked the municipal authorities to produce documents to prove their ownership claim,” senior taluk officials said.
District panchayat president Asha Sanil said the civic body had requested the government to allocate 30 cents for the construction of an official residence for the president. She said she was unaware of any previous allocations.
Call for master plan
TRAAC president M.S. Anilkumar said the land should be developed with a far-sighted vision taking into account the growth of Thrikkakara in the next 25 years and called for a master plan.
“The growth of Infopark and the arrival of Kochi Metro will add to the needs of Thrikkakara and demand for parking space. Maybe a municipal office can be allotted there. The rest of the space should be used for parking,” he said.
