A decision taken by the Housing Development & Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) to sell the ‘HMT land’ at Kalamassery has kicked up a controversy. HDIL has published advertisements in two newspapers stating that 70 acres of land in Kalamassery is “available for sale/joint venture”. Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan has termed the move highly unfortunate.
The 70-acre land parcel was purchased by HDIL in 2006 from HMT to set up a cyber park and allied industries. Jose Kaitharam, a social activist, challenged the move in the High Court. The Court ruled in favour of the land deal, based on certain conditions, one of which was that the land should be used for setting up industrial units.
The case went to Supreme Court, and the apex court upheld the decision, and reiterated the condition that the land be used for starting industries. It is in this context that the move to sell the land has attracted censure. The HDIL had bought the land parcel for 91 crores in 2006. Now the organisation is reportedly trying to sell an acre of land for eight crores.
Speaking to ‘Express’, D Satheesh Kumar, general secretary, the HMT Employees Union, said that the move exposes the real estate interests of the top management of HMT, who is allegedly behind the design and execution of the deal. V V Nandagopal Nambiar, the lawyer who represented HDIL at the High Court, said that there is “no legal impediment in transferring the land which has been exempted under the Kerala Land Reforms Act”.