The Vigilance court here has ordered a preliminary inquiry into the complaint that Transport Minister Thomas Chandy has violated rules to reclaim paddy fields to open a way to a tourism facility in Alappuzha in which he has business interest.
The directive to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) was issued by V. Dileep, Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance). The report has to be filed within one month.
The petition was filed by Janata Dal (Secular) leader Subhash Thekkedan, who said Mr. Chandy had reclaimed paddy land using funds amounting to ₹30 lakh from two Rajya Sabha MPs and later asphalted a road using ₹35 lakh from the Harbour Engineering Department knowing well that these actions violated the government norms, even if they were taken up for public benefit as claimed by Mr. Chandy.
The contention of the complainant was that Mr. Chandy had caused loss to the public exchequer through his actions. The complainant had taken up the matter with the Alappuzha District Collector, whose preliminary inquiry found that the reclamation had violated the rules.
The Collector’s report had been submitted to the Vigilance court. When the case came up for hearing on October 26, the government pleader had sought more time to file a report. They were given 10 days by the court to prepare the report. However, when the case was taken up for hearing on Saturday, they asked for more time as the government was awaiting legal advice from the Advocate General.
This was opposed by the complainant. It was following this that the court ordered a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
The issue relates to the allegations that Mr. Chandy had reclaimed paddy land to develop the one-km-long Vailakulam-Zero Jetty road to have easy access to the Lake Palace Resort owned by Water World Company headed by him. He had maintained that the road benefited 10 families that lived in the area.
