THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance on Wednesday sought legal advice based on a complaint filed by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala to probe Transport Minister Thomas Chandy’s alleged encroachment upon Marthandam Lake to build a resort.However, Vigilance sources said the decision on registering an FIR will be taken after receiving advice from the legal advisor. The complaint alleges Chandy misused powers vested in him as an MLA and a minister on many counts. As per the complaint, Chennithala alleged, “Laying bitumen on only one particular stretch of the road leading to the Lake Palace Resort owned by the minister in Alappuzha is nothing but misuse of power and public money. Encroaching upon the lake in front of the resort by laying floating pipes is punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Land Conservation Act.”
The complaint also alleged there was a conspiracy behind the filling up of paddy fields owned by Chandy’s manager using silt dredged from the backwaters. Earlier in the day, Chennithala took strong exception to the Chief Minister’s silence on the matter despite grave charges being levelled against a member of his Cabinet. Chandy is facing allegations including graft charges, misuse of power and diversion of funds to build a road to his private resort. As per the allegations, he had misused his power and illegally reclaimed about five acres of Marthandam Lake, a part of Vembanad Lake, an internationally protected water body under the Ramsar Convention.
He was also alleged to have constructed a road to his Lake Palace Resort in the Chungam ward of Alappuzha municipality after reclaiming a part of a paddy field.The road was constructed using Rs 22 lakh allocated to the Harbour Engineering Department for the infrastructure development in the nearby fishermen’s hamlet. The new road was constructed from the gate of the minister’s resort to the canal road connecting Kallupalam and Chungam, Pallathuruthy, in the town.
Thomas Chandy issue: Youth Congress to launch agitation
Alappuzha: The Youth Congress has decided to launch an agitation against Transport Minister Thomas Chandy alleging that he had filled paddy fields at Marthandam Kayal in Kuttanad misusing his powers. Youth Congress Mavelikkara Lok Sabha committee president Saji Joseph will stage a 48-hour fast at Pupally at Nedumudi from 4 pm on September 22. The fast will conclude at 4 pm on Sunday. Youth Congress state president Dean Kuriakose will inaugurate it. Kodikunnil Suresh MP will take part in it on Saturday. The valedictory meeting will be inaugurated by DCC president M Liju.
AICC secretary P C Vishnunath, former DCC president A A Shukoor, UDF district chairman M Murali and other YC leaders will attend it. At a press conference here on Wednesday, Saji said that Thomas Chandy had been misusing powers for business purposes. “He illegally constructed a road to the Lake Palace Resort owned by him from Valiyakulam to Zero Junction.
Though he has been serving as the MLA of Kuttanad for the past 11 and a half years, he has not been keen on resolving any of the civic issues of the constituency. The roads in 13 panchayats in Kuttanad are in a bad shape. People are facing acute shortage of potable water even during the rainy season. The construction work of bridges in Kuttanad has hit a roadblock. The MLA does not intervene when Kuttanad farmers face severe issues, he said.