ALAPPUZHA: Despite Thomas Chandy’s vehement denials following reports of encroachment by the Lake Palace Resort owned by him, it was District Collector T V Anupama’s report substantiating the charges which proved the final nail in the coffin to the embattled then Transport Minister.
The controversy erupted in August after it emerged the road leading up to the resort had been tarred using government funds. A fuming Chandy vent his ire on journalists since it was a news channel which broke the news. With the other media organisations joining the chorus, the Alappuzha municipality started a probe into the sanction granted for the resort constructed 17 years ago.
hen it came out the files pertaining to this had vanished only for them to surface mysteriously. According to the Collector’s findings, the Water World Tourism Company Ltd, promoters of the Lake Palace Resort, had violated the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wet Land Act and Kerala Land Conservancy Act 1957. The Collector had submitted two separate reports to the state government regarding the violations made by the Lake Place Resort and the filling up of paddy land in Marthandam Kayal. The MLA and MP Fund was utilised for building and tarring the road, respectively, the report said.
Revenue Dept may take action
T’Puram: The Revenue Department is likely to take action against the encroachment of Marthandam Kayal in the coming days based on Alappuzha District Collector’s report. As per the Kerala Land Conservancy Act and the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, the district collector has the power to act against encroachment and illegal filling of paddy fields or wetlands, sources said. Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said he was waiting for the AG’s advise on the issue.