Revenue Minister K.Chandrashekharan has sought a report from the Pathanamthitta Collector on the alleged delay in executing an order of the Kozhencherry Taluk Land Board (TLB) to take over 118.74 ha of excess land in possession of K.J. Abraham, chairman of two Kozhencherry-based charitable organisations.
The Minister issued the order on the basis of newspaper reports and private complaints received on the issue.
Land Board order
The TLB decision declaring 118.74 ha as excess land in the taluks of Kozhencherry, Alathur (Palakkad), and Adoor was taken at its sitting on July 12.
This included 232 acres at Aranmula, Kidangannur, and Mallappuzhassery villages sold by Mr. Abraham to the Chennai-based KGS Group for constructing an international airport.
The TLB decision was based on an order of the State Land Board (Order No.LB(B8)4257/08, dated July 3, 2012) for initiating suo motu proceedings to take over the excess land at Aranmula and a Kerala High Court directive of November 27, 2013 to take a final decision after hearing the parties concerned.
The TLB order had also directed the tahsildar concerned to take over the excess land in the next seven days.
Official records show that the tahsildar dispatched the TLB order, with a covering letter, to the village officers concerned only on August 7 and the order reached them on August 9.
P.Prasad, CPI State council member, and Shaji Chacko, Anti-Airport Action Council convener, alleged that there was a conspiracy by some officials to protect the land lobby.
Mr. Prasad said the TLB authorities were responsible for the failure in executing the order, giving time to Mr. Abraham to secure a court stay on the proceedings.
Mutation issue
Mr. Chacko alleged that the District Collector was yet to take a decision on cancelling the mutation of the 232 acres reportedly purchased by the KGS Group from Mr. Abraham, despite a High Court directive on March 10, 2013.
