The vigilance report submitted by N K Gopalakrishnan, deputy superintendent, Vigilance, to the Directorate, Thiruvananthapuram, states that there is no evidence to show that Kerala Congress (M) Chairman K M Mani and Chief Whip P C George had misused their official positions to help the estate owners in Nelliampathy, including the owner of the controversial Shernelly estate, to retain their ownership on the estates even after the lease terms for the said estates had ended.
It was also alleged that these owners pledged their land to avail huge loans from banks. The report will be vetted by the Directorate of Vigilance before being submitted it to the Thrissur Vigilance Court which had ordered the enquiry. The order was issued by the Vigilance Court on the basis of a petition filed by George Vattukulam, president, Malayala Vedi. The report, however, states that the lease agreements were blatantly violated by the five estate owners when they had transferred and sold leased lands or availed huge loans by pledging the same.
In addition, the estate owners had not sought the permission of the government before transferring the leased estates to other persons.
This is in contravention to the Forest Conservation Act, said sources. The petitioner, before the Thrissur Vigilance Court, had contended that K M Mani and P C George had misused their official positions to help the owners of the Shernelly, Thoothampara, Rajakkad, Meera Flour and Mankodu estates, and misled the Assembly and the public on aspects related to taking over the estates for violating lease conditions.