Land donor alleges NSS trying to scuttle project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dubai-based businessman Jochan Mukkadan, 61, who donated 5.7 acres of land to 123 homeless people at Vazhappilly in Changanassery, picked up from a list of 3,000 given by the state government's Zero Landless project, has been facing a harrowing time for the last three years.

NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair is allegedly trying to scuttle the project. Mr Mukkadan called a meeting of beneficiaries on Sunday at Changanassery Town Hall and handed over the title deeds to 73 of them. If they are not implementing the project before July, he will give the land to the local municipality as a dumping yard.

Vazhappilly NSS Karayogam secretary K. Jayachandran had approached the High Court to stay the project, but Mr Mukkadan won the case and had the stay vacated.

He had bought 5.7 acres of land behind Vazhappally Mahadeva temple in 2010 hoping to build an engineering college there. But with the mushrooming of self-financing colleges, he decided to give the paddy land to homeless people instead.

However, the sailing was not smooth for the Jochan Nest Trust's efforts to provide a roof over 123 beneficiaries. The Trust had decided to construct a 550 sq ft home with two rooms, kitchen and a bathroom. But the local NSS Karayogam approached the HC and delayed it.

"After the HC vacated the stay order on Feb 18, today I have handed over the title deeds to all the 123 beneficiaries by Sebastian Manamel, Changanassery municipal chair," said Mr Mukkadan, living in the emirate for more than five decades.

He says if the houses are not constructed by July, he will pay the stamp paper and registration fees with 24 percent interest. Or else it would be handed over to the municipality for dumping garbage.