The members of Communist Party of India (Marxist) have demanded the State government to release a white paper on the status of 8.5 acres of land in Thiruparankundram as it had been allegedly grabbed by some powerful persons, who had managed to get patta in their names in connivance with a few top brasses in the district administration.
The issue, which dates back to as early as 1956 had been exposed by the Communist Party members in public interest on several occasions.
According to Madurai Rural district secretary C. Ramakrishnan, of the government land measuring 8.5 acres in survey number 175/2 of Thiruparankundram village of Madurai south taluk, six acres was given for laying road by the temple administration to the highways department.
The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru toured this part and due to security reasons, the roads had to be laid near the temple area.
However, the present by-pass was laid in the six acres of land, while the balance 2.36 acres of land had been allegedly grabbed by some persons as early as 1978.
Patta issued
The then Communist leader K.P. Janaki Ammal directly fought for the issue and obtained cancellation of the patta. But, again the private persons managed to get patta, it is learnt.
Under such circumstances, a CPI (M) delegation represented the issue to Collector U. Sagayam on December 12, 2011 seeking action.
However, no concrete steps had been taken so far, Mr. Ramakrishnan said and added that rumours were agog that several lakh of rupees had been promised to some officials to get the work done.
Investigations on
“We have been hearing news that investigations are on, but nothing has come out so far against the corrupt officials, ” Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
When the State government under the leadership of Jayalalithaa has been firmly dealing with land grabbers across many districts in Tamil Nadu, such a stoic silence maintained by the district administration is causing concern, he said and hoped the government land was retrieved and put to public use.
