THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Transport Minister Thomas Chandy has landed in further trouble, with Revenue Minister E Chandrashekaran on Friday ordering an inquiry into allegations that the former had grabbed Mathur Devaswom’s 34 acres of land by producing fake documents.The Land Board Secretary has been asked to probe, take action and report on the allegations at the earliest, sources said. The inquiry was ordered after a petition was received at the Minister’s office.
The petition said the Mathur Dewaswsom had been remitting land tax for the 34 acres of agriculture land near Puthan Thodu in Chennankara, Nedumudi, till 1998. The fraud was known when the dewaswom officials went to remit land tax after 1998, it said. The petitioners alleged Paul Francis of Chennankara had transferred the land to three persons and later sold to Chandy and his family. In 2001, Chandy registered the land in his name and family members, the petition said.
The Dewaswom Board, which came to know about the transfer, approached the Alappuzha Land Reforms Appellate Authority. It cancelled the title deeds, noting the documents were fake. However, Chandy approached the High Court, which upheld the appellate’s authority order in 2014. In its order, the HC directed the Cherthala Land Tribunal to look into the issue and take immediate action within four months. However, the Tribunal had not taken any step in this regard even after three years, the petitioners alleged.
34 acres of land of Mathur Devaswom has been allegedly grabbed by Chandy by producing fake documents
The petitioners alleged Paul Francis of Chennankara had transferred the land to three persons and later sold to Chandy and his family
Collector’s task on hand
Alappuzha Collector TV Anupama who, as food safety commissioner, worked bravely and tirelessly to expose adulteration by prominent companies, has another tough task on hand with regard to the illegal encroachments on Alappuzha’s backwaters.P6