After taking up the issue of alleged financial fraud of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Enforcement Directorate and other Central Financial Institutions, the state government is setting up a Financial Implication Committee to look into all financial dealings of the company. “The government is taking very strong steps to get back all land in their illegal possession. We are setting up a committee to look into all its financial dealings,” Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash told ‘Express’.
Stating that the government would not dither in resuming all land in the possession of illegal encroachers, the Minister said that the Revenue Secretary had held discussions with officials regarding the constitution of the committee.
It is learned that the Financial Implications Committee will be headed by Additional Chief Secretary K M Abraham. Revenue Secretary Sathyajeeth Rajan and officials from the Revenue and Finance Departments will be in the team. The Financial Implication Committee will be looking into all the financial dealings of the company. It would include the produce that the company gets from one unit area of land and also the profit made since 1950.
The committee has its relevance as everything is related to exploitation of government land and diversion of funds, according to highly placed officials. It is constituted as the issue pertains to crores of rupees of revenue due to the government being lost because of forgery, fraud and various offences committed in respect of more than 60,000 acres of land spread over eight districts, the officials said. It will look into sale of government land and finances in such sales.
It is alleged that the company had sold some estates for crores of rupees. The subsidies for tea availed by the company will also come under the scanner of the committee. The diversion of funds to other states and also out of the country, especially to Ghana, will also be looked into, the sources said. The committee will inquire into the financial aspects relating to workers’ benefits, formation of various sister companies and tax evasion.