The Communist Party of India has demanded a comprehensive probe into the alleged amassing of land in Pathanamthitta district by a Congress MLA in Goa and the alleged role of the Congress leaders in the land deal.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, P. Prasad, CPI district secretary, stressed the need for a detailed inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the huge land purchases, including plantations, in Karnataka and Kerala made by two people’s representatives in the district belonging to the Congress.
Mr. Prasad said it was of utmost importance to conduct a just and fair investigation into the land purchases and the alleged ‘benami’ deals made by various Congress leaders, including people’s representatives.
It was of prime importance to expose the “source as well as the outflow of the hefty graft money for supporting all sorts of illegal and unlawful activities taking place in the name of the controversial Aranmula airport project,” the CPI leader said.
Mr. Prasad alleged that there was every reason to suspect the Goa connections of the Congress people’s representatives from the district who had been vehemently supporting the violations taking place in the name of the proposed private airport project.
He alleged that the Congress was a playing arm-twisting tactics by transferring officials of high integrity from the Revenue Department. Two officials, former District Collector V.N. Jithendran and Deputy Collector A. Abdul Samad, were shifted for acting against vested interests, he said.