KOCHI: The attempt to regularise the reclamation of paddy fields at Manakkakadavu in Kunnathunadu village and Muttom in Choornikkara panchayat has sparked controversy prompting the government to launch an investigation. While the government has ordered a vigilance probe into the reclamation of 25 cents of paddy field abetting the National Highway at Muttom, the Revenue minister has sought details on the Manakkakadavu incident.
According to Congress leader and former minister K Babu, a real estate company has acquired 14.57 acres of paddy field at Manakkakadavu, on the banks of river Kadambrayar and have reclaimed the land. Though the land was reclaimed years ago, a government order was recently issued regularising the conversion of the land. “The Chief Minister’s office has played a role in the regularisation of the reclaimed land, which is illegal. Now, the authorities are trying to cancel the order. We demand a judicial inquiry into the incident,” said K Babu.
“I had 56 cents of paddy field here. I sold it to Synthite company 15 years ago at `5,000 per cent. Later, a real estate company purchased the land and reclaimed it,” said CPI Pallikkara branch secretary V T Pappachan. “We will launch an agitation against the conversion of land,” said CPI Kunnathunadu constituency secretary M P Joseph.
According to green activists, a real estate company had purchased the land from local farmers around two decades ago. The land was reclaimed after 2010, which sparked protests then. Later, Muvattupuzha RDO submitted a report to the District Collector in 2017, recommending restoration of the paddy field by removing earth dumped on it.
Based on the RDO’s recommendation, the Collector had issued an order directing the owner to restore the paddy field. The new order giving approval to land conversion has been issued by cancelling the Collector’s order. Meanwhile, leaders of the CPI, who hold the Revenue portfolio, claimed the order was issued without the knowledge of Revenue minister E Chandrasekharan.
Parties demand judicial inquiry
On Monday, CPI leaders erected a flex board on the disputed property demanding an inquiry into the incident. Congress Kunnathunadu constituency committee too had taken out a march on Monday demanding a judicial inquiry. UDF convenor Benny Behanan inaugurated the march. MLAs V P Sajeendran, P T Thomas, Eldhos Kunnappaly, Roji M John, former minister K Babu and DCC president T J Vinod participated. Meanwhile, Youth Congress Choornikkara constituency committee gheraoed the Aluva tehsildar demanding a judicial inquiry into the disputed land. According to Youth Congress leader Mohammed Shafiq, fake documents were created to regularise the land reclamation. The owners had produced a fake order claiming that Land Revenue Commissioner had approved the reclamation.