IDUKKI: Launching a frontal attack on the CPM over Munnar encroachment issue, Congress MLA P T Thomas alleged Power Minister M M Mani and Idukki MP Joice George were behind Sriram Venkitaraman’s unceremonious exit as Devikulam Sub-Collector.
Thomas told reporters in Thodupuzha on Saturday Sriram’s ouster showed the LDF Government’s strong ties to the land mafia and encroachers in the district. He said Mani allowed a Perumbavoor-based company to encroach upon 300 acres of land at Kottakkambur village in Devikulam.
“While the company forged a fake pattayam (title deed) for nearly 60 acres, the rest of the land is also in its possession without having even a single document to prove ownership. Even the CPM Permbavoor unit had submitted a complaint to the party top brass and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to probe Mani’s links with this company. Mani visited the company on several occasions, even after becoming a minister,” Thomas said. The CPM should tell the people what action it had initiated on the basis of the complaint from its local unit.
According to Thomas, the particular company had secured the pattayam by registering as many as 15 power of attorney documents under the guise of tribal people in Vattavada. “The company carried out the registration at Kuruppampady sub-registrar office by presenting the building number of a shopping mall in Perumbavoor. The Sub-Collector had objected to the move to cut down the several trees there. Also, the case against Joice’s illegal occupation of land in Kottakkambur is in its final stages. It is in such a scenario the minister and the MP unleashed a false campaign in the name of Kuthakappattam (leased land) issue,” he said.
He said many of political parties and their leaders in Idukki were misled by the false campaign. Thomas was also critical of KPCC vice president A K Mani for taking a stand against the Sub-Collector.