ALAPPUZHA: As a relentless crusader against corruption, V S Achuthanandan was often a thorn in the side of not just the opposition but also certain sections within his own front. Determined to weaken his stature, his detractors waited for an appropriate moment to discredit him. That moment arrived when a controversy erupted over the allotment of 2.33 acres of government land to T K Soman, a retired Army medical officer and a relative of Achuthanandan.
The land in Shenni village in Kasaragod district was officially handed over in the early 2000s to Soman — a resident of Thambakachuvadu in Alappuzha district — but the decision triggered a major political uproar years later. Opposition parties accused VS of nepotism, alleging that he had misused his position to allot government land to a family member.
The issue snowballed into a full-fledged campaign to portray him as involved in corruption, ironically, the very evil he had fiercely fought against throughout his career.
Soman, however, maintains that he was merely a victim of political vendetta.
“The land was originally part of a scheme initiated by the K Karunakaran government in the early 1970s to provide housing land to defence personnel who didn’t own property. At the time, I was serving as a superintendent in the Army Medical Wing in Kannur. The government invited applications from eligible personnel. Over 17 individuals from our department applied. Eventually, land was allotted to three of us,” he recalled.
While the legal formalities for the allotment were completed back then, the actual transfer of land was delayed for years. When VS became chief minister in 2006, Soman submitted a fresh memorandum requesting final approval. After verifying the records and legalities, the chief minister issued the order granting the land.
“But the opposition twisted the narrative, making it seem like a case of land grabbing, just to tarnish Achuthanandan’s image,” Soman said.
In 2011, the Oommen Chandy-led UDF government revoked the land allotment. VS later approached the court, challenging the decision. “The case is now under the consideration of the Supreme Court,” Soman added.