THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Constituting a ministerial sub-committee under the Chief Minister to re-determine the contours of Kurinji Hills wildlife sanctuary in the High Ranges under the cover of redressing land-related grievances of natives is a move to save Idukki MP Joice George and CPM bigwigs possessing vast tracts of encroached landholdings in Block No 58 of Kottakamboor village, said Dean Kuriakose, Youth Congress state president, on Thursday.
“A high-level conspiracy was hatched at the instance of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to make use of poor Schedule Caste people originally from Tamil Nadu to stake claim for pattayams of their holdings, and on the sly, to assert Joice had no direct connection with the encroachment. A CPM councillor in Perumbavoor municipality, known to all as benami of Power Minister M M Mani, has encroached 100 acres of land and CPM local leader Lekshmanan is holding four acres,’’ he told reporters. Dean said it is ridiculous Mani, who openly promotes encroachment of government land was made head of the team to examine the Kottakamboor land issues.
“The stand of the Chief Minister and Revenue Minister that Joice George is not guilty since he only inherited land bequeathed by his father clearly intends to influence the ongoing probe under the supervision of the High Court and put officials concerned on the defensive,’’ he said.“Relevant documents dating back to 1995 were submitted to the Revenue Minister as ample proof to establish the encroachment of land by the MP and others. Joice himself masterminded the encroachments and forged pre-dated documents to grab the revenue land by positioning Scheduled Caste Tamil people on the front,” he said.