Kerala government scraps land deal with Swami' in another U-turn

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government  has scrapped the controversial order allowing the reclamation of 127 acres of  paddy land spread over North Paravur and Puthenvelikkara villages in Ernakulam district and Mala in Thrissur district for setting up private IT companies. The order to return the land to a company having connections with controversial godman Santhosh Madhavan had raised many eyebrows.

The government finally backtracked in the wake of strident opposition from KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, Congress MLAs V.D. Satheesan, T.N. Prathapan and protests by the LDF. As per the order issued on March 2, two days ahead of the announcement of Assembly elections, the government had permitted Krishi Property Development Private Ltd to reclaim 127.85 acres of land in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.

“When the company came to us in 2014, we had set up a committee to study the proposal. It was found that it  was surplus land, and also that the promoters had no ownership over the land either,” a top industries department official said.