A report submitted to the Government by the Joint Commissioner of the State Land Board in July has revealed certain crucial issues exposing criminal negligence on the part of the officials leading to illegal conversion of the biodiversity-rich wetland and paddy fields (puncha) at Aranmula in the name of a private airport project.
In his report submitted to the Government on July 2, C. Reghu, Joint Commissioner of the State Land Board, categorically mentioned certain “commissions and omissions on the part of Government officials.’’
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The Land Board Joint Commissioner’s report, signed by Dr D. Sajith Babu, Assistant Commissioner, further suggested that “Government may order a Vigilance inquiry into the whole issue so as to find out the official lapses and also to contain such instances in future.’’
It also maintained that the “lapses spread over different departments reveal a definite pattern which is not in the interest of the State and hence an inquiry confined to one department is not enough to reveal everything.’’
According to the report, a letter (AAL/03/08, dated 25-2-2008) received at the Secretariat in the head of the Aranmula Aviation Limited sans any registration number and signed by K.K. Jose and Kalamannil Abraham Joseph, chairman and director respectively of the firm, had sought exemption on Land Ceiling Act for the 200 acres of land purchased in the villages of Aranmula, Mallappuzhaserry, and Kidangannoor.
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It says that the District Collector had reported the facts to the Secretary, Transport (D) Department, that “K.K.Jose and Kalamannil Abraham Joseph of Aranmula Aviation Limited had filled the Government owned poromboke Thodu (canal) illegally, besides filling nearly 27 acres of paddy land.’’
The Collector had also mentioned that the parties failed to produce before him clearances from Government of Kerala, Airport Authority of India and Ministry of Civil Aviation. Though the Collector had repeatedly directed the Kozhencherry Tahsildar to give a report to the Taluk Land Board for booking ceiling cases against the applicant and to evict the encroachment on the poromboke canal, no action was taken by the authorities concerned on it for “unknown reasons’’.
The Collector had reported the entire matter to the Commissioner of Land Revenue too for information way back on September 9, 2009.
The State Land Board had unambiguously maintained that the authorities concerned have failed to take action against the illegal paddy land conversion taken place in Aranmula.
The report categorically stated that the Additional Tahsildar, Kozhencherry, and the Taluk Surveyor warrant stringent disciplinary action for gross dereliction of duty. “The Revenue Divisional Officer at Adoor (during the period September 8, 2007 to February 3, 2009) who could have taken a proactive role in the whole episode too is responsible for all the misdeeds,’’ the report said.
Public agitation
Meanwhile, the heritage village of Aranmula is now witnessing a mass movement against the illegal conversion of paddy fields and natural canal. The Legislative Committee on Environment had visited Aranmula in February and had reported to the Government on the alarming environmental issues in store owing to conversion of the paddy land and the natural stream there.