Residents of Kadakampally will renew their agitation on Monday to press for immediate collection of land tax, for which permission was not granted to them during the past two years after Revenue authorities found two title-deed holders for same property.
The residents had called off their agitation held in front of village office at Anayara on April 10 following an assurance from the District Collector. Member of Kadakampally Land Protection Council, Sasidharan, said it was decided to re-launch agitation in the wake of District Collector Biju Prabhakar’s decision not to collect tax citing the adverse opinion given by the Advocate General.
“The Collector had on April 10 promised to collect tax if the High Court or State government did not issue an order to the contrary. He made the turnaround to protect the government as the former personal security officer of the Chief Minister is involved in the land scam,” he said. Mr. Prabhakar, he said, had promised to facilitate tax collection after collecting fresh applications along with receipts of land tax paid in the past. “Accordingly, 137 residents had submitted applications. At least the Collector should give in writing to us that the government is unable to collect tax. We cannot even go to the court as the tax receipts are with the village officer,” he said.
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Meanwhile, V. Sivankutty, MLA, said the opinion given by the Advocate General was against rules as the court or government had not issued any order preventing residents from paying the tax. “The Advocate General gave his opinion at the behest of the Chief Minister to protect his former gunman Salim Raj,” the statement said.
The Revenue Secretary had taken possession of seven ‘thandaper’ (rent roll) registries, thus denying 2,000 people access to revenue details of their land and property, Mr. Sivankutty said. He urged the government to return the registry to Anayara village office.