The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) put the government on the defensive in the Assembly on Wednesday with a spirited attack followed by a walkout over large-scale alienation of tribal land at Kottathara village in Palakkad district between 2006 and 2009.
Armed with documents to support their case, the Opposition pointed out that a ‘real estate mafia' had, under the pretence of setting up a wind farm, grabbed around 350 acres of tribal land in the Nallasinka and Varadampadi Adivasi hamlets during the period. They had also encroached upon around 50 acres of forest land in the area. They bought the Adivasi land through 52 transactions relating to Survey No. 1275 at the Agali sub-registrar's office. The Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) officer concerned had submitted a report to the government exposing the magnitude of the land grab as far back as May 7, but no action had been taken on it so far, they alleged.
Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy wanted the wind farm to be closed down immediately and a comprehensive inquiry, preferably by an Assembly committee, initiated to bring out all facts relating to the land grab. Pointing out that the land grabbers had duped the revenue, registration, power and SC/ST development departments, Mr. Chandy sought stern action against all those responsible for the land scam.
Responding to the Opposition's adjournment motion on the subject, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled and Backward Communities A.K. Balan said that a three-member committee headed by the Ottappalam RDO would hold a hearing on the allegations at Agali on Friday and that stern action would be taken against all persons concerned if the RDO's inquiry brought to light any wrongdoing.
The government, he said, had nothing to hide in the matter. It had asked District Collector to look into the findings of the ITDP officer immediately on receipt of his report. The government had given clearance for the wind farm in good faith and any wrong doing would be dealt with severely, he added.
Chipping in, Registration Minister S. Sarma said the government would act on the District Collector's report in a week's time. If any official was found to have abetted the land grab or if any irregularity was brought to light, stern action would be taken against the persons concerned, he said.
Earlier, Congress member Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who sought leave for the adjournment motion, alleged that a real estate mafia was at work in the area. Besides buying 350 acres of land belonging to Adivasis, they had also got 50 acres of forest land in their name and later used the land as security to obtain a loan from the Kerala State Cooperative Bank. The government should immediately locate the real owners of the land and restore it to them. It should also initiate action against the officials who had abetted the land grab, he said.
