KOCHI: A dispute between two government departments over possession of land led to the arrest of 100 KSEB officers at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district on Friday. The officers, who were arrested at 11 am, were released by 1.30 pm after the intervention of KSEB chairman B Ashok.
The functioning of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) electrical division office in Muvattupuzha was disrupted as police arrested the entire staff including executive engineer K R Rajeev, assistant executive engineer Santhosh P Abraham, four sub division assistant executive engineers and 14 section assistant engineers who were shifted to Muvattupuzha police station.
According to local residents, the revenue department had started construction works for Maradi village office on 8 acres of poramboke land located near T B Junction in Muvattupuzha, which led to an altercation. While the revenue department claimed that the land was allocated by the government for construction of a village office, KSEB authorities claim that it was under the board’s possession since 1955.
“There is a 34.2 cent revenue poramboke land at TB Junction. In 2020, the KSEB had submitted an application for possession of 5.9 cents of land in the plot, which was allocated to them through a government order issued in 1967. We issued the possession certificate and KSEB authorities started construction of Vydyuthi Bhavan without obtaining permission from the local body. We have initiated action against the KSEB in this regard,” said Muvattupuzha tahsildar K S Satheesan.
He said the government has recently allocated 8.6 cents of land in the property for construction of Maradi village office. The Maradi village office was destroyed in 2018 floods. Meanwhile, the KSEB approached the court against allocation of land to revenue department claiming that the land is under their possession. While the revenue department claims that the court granted permission to continue construction works, KSEB officers said they have obtained a stay order.
On Friday morning, when the contractor engaged by the revenue department started construction work, KSEB officers assembled at the spot and obstructed it. After the tahsildar informed district collector Jafar Malik about the incident, he was directed to seek police protection. Based on the collector’s direction, the KSEB officers were arrested and shifted to Muvattupuzha police station.
“We had allocated land for laying a 15 m wide road to the KSEB office. But they claim ownership of the entire 34.2 cents of land. There is still 19.75 cents of vacant land in the plot and the KSEB can pay market value and purchase the land with government permission. We have apprised the district collector and Land Revenue Commissioner about the development,” said Satheesan.
Denying the claims of the tahsildar, KSEB Muvattupuzha electrical section assistant engineer P S Kunjunni said the KSEB has documents proving possession of the 34.2 cents of land which was allocated by the government in 1955. “The court had accepted our plea to wait till the high power committee takes a decision and stayed construction works. Meanwhile, the revenue department started construction work on Friday morning violating the stay order and we questioned it. They have threatened to book cases under non-bailable charges against us,” he said.