THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State government has decided to revoke the previous UDF Government’s order that permitted Karuna Estate to remit land tax for 833 acres of land.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated this in the Assembly based on the Cabinet sub-committee report that looked into the controversial orders of the preceding UDF Government. “The government has decided not to accept tax from the plantation owners till the issue regarding the possession is settled. It has also decided to look into the authenticity of the title deed. The Revenue Department has accepted the sub committee’s report,” he said.
The report also recommended the entire land should be surveyed, said Pinarayi. He alleged the orders regarding the collection of tax were given to help the Poabs Group, who are currently holding the land.
The UDF Government had issued the orders despite the High Court’s direction that no decision should be taken without its consent and the government’s submission that the estate owners had no title for the entire land. The report of the Land Board Secretary, who said the land belonged to the government, was also overlooked while issuing the order. Ahead of the order, the decision to give No-Objection Certificate to Karuna Estate to pay land tax had also created a flutter.
The government had to withdraw the NoC after facing heavy opposition.
The Land Board Secretary was then entrusted with a probe to trace the excess and illegally possessed land at Nelliyampathy.