The Chinnakanal grama panchayat has levied building tax and penalty on unauthorised construction of multi-storeyed building by the Thachankary Foundation for a catering college in Chinnakanal village, in addition to other buildings managed by it. An official at the grama panchayat said the building had been constructed on land that did not have valid documents on ownership and it was unauthorised construction. However, the panchayat can levy building tax for the construction and a fine. The amount levied was three times higher than the normal tax on legal constructions.
According to sources, the management of the Munnar Catering College under Tomin Tachankary, IPS officer who was removed as Transport Commissioner, got the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the grama panxchayat using its influence and with the connivance of some officials.
The unauthorised construction was started in 2006- 2008. The NOC was given by the then panchayat secretary without having the necessary copies of documents pertaining to land ownership. An inquiry was conducted in January 2014 by a senior superintendent under the Panchayat Department on how the NOC was given without submitting the papers required for it.
The land and building tax of the catering college and the hostel had not been received by the grama panchayat from 2008. The Revenue Department had raised objection stating that the building was on revenue land. The government had issued a directive that tax should be levied in the case of unauthorised constructions. In the audit report, it was mentioned that the panchayat had suffered loss on account of zero tax levied on the unauthorised construction.
Following this, it was decided to levy a tax of ₹12 lakh from the management of the catering college, which included the dues on building tax and penalty for unauthorised construction. A team under Idukki Vigilance DySP Johnson Joseph is inquiring into the land encroachment by the catering college and the role of the officials in providing NOC for unauthorised construction. The inquiry is against those officials who had retired from service.
