No disrespect, but govt can't take over land: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stated that government is not in a position to take over the land of the Law Academy and hand it over to the family of the late Natarajan Pillai. Addressing the DYFI meeting here on Sunday Pinarayi said legally the government cannot undertake such a measure. Stating what he said in Kozhikode on Saturday was misinterpreted, the Chief Minister explained the legal formalities connected with transaction of the land over years which included leasing the land in 1968 followed by assignment in 1984 taking the then prevailing market rate.

Now the government cannot take over the same land and reassign to the family members of the late Pillai. Pinarayi however remained silent on the possibility of government taking over the land for the violations of the conditions. Stating he only has respect for the late Pillai the Chief Minister ridiculed Congress leader K Muraleedharan for the hunger strike before the Law Academy. Muraleedharan's protest is against the memory of his father, the late K Karunakaran, who as the Chief Minister assigned the land to the present trust, he said.