Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan raised a serious allegation against Finance Minister K M Mani that 10 acres of government land at Chinnakkanal was handed over to Mountain Club, owned by Mani’s relative Edakkattukudiyil Jose.
The sale of the land was made on April 4 this year at the Chinnakkanal village. The Opposition leader said that a Chennai-based company, Sabari Inn, had registered the deed for the land sale on April 22 this year at the Rajakumari Sub Registrar office.
Achuthanandan said that during the Munnar mission, conducted under the tenure of the LDF Government, a team of Deputy Collectors engaged in Chinnakkanal found out that the title deed of the land was fake and directed the Revenue officials to cancel the deed.
The Chennai company’s efforts to pay land tax also didn’t succeed during the previous LDF Government’s period. But under pressure, the Tahasildar, Udumbanchola, issued an instruction on April 16 to allow the company to remit the land tax.
The very next day, land tax was remitted at the Chinnakkanal village office, facilitating the company to sell the land and issue a certificate stating the current status of the land.
Achuthanandan said that following this, the hindrances for handing over the land to Mani’s relative were cleared.