The State Government, which has set up a special office for retrieving the lands allegedly under the illegal possession of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML), is yet to provide the allotted fund of `20 lakh and the necessary infrastructure for the office even after one year of its announcement.
Though the government had announced a fund of `20 lakh for the special office, it was yet to get the amount, highly-placed sources in the Revenue Department said. They said that the amount said to have been allotted could not be utilised as the head of account was not yet provided. The officials said that it was about six months back that the government had allotted the amount. “Though the government was approached many times for providing the necessary fund and the basic infrastructure for the special office, nothing has happened till now,’’ sources said and alleged that the Finance Department was behind not sanctioning the fund.
The special office now functioning from the office of the Kerala State Land Board is operating at the mercy of the Kerala Land Information Mission. ‘’We got tables and chairs from the Kerala Land Information Mission. If they ask us to give it back, we have no options left,’’ the officials said. Stating that there was a need for more staff, they said that the government was only delaying the proposal.
“There is need for at least two clerical staff and last grade employees,’’ they said. Moreover, they said that they did not have computers, fax machine, net connection, scanners, printers and other facilities. The laptops which are now used belong to the surveyors who are appointed in the office. As surveyors, they are given personal computers. But once the Survey Department asks them to return the laptops, the office will be left without any laptop facilities, officials said.