Idukki MP Joice George, kin lose illegal land'

Kottayam: Devikulam sub-collector V.R. Prem Kumar on Saturday cancelled the title deeds of 20 acres of land in possession of Idukki MP Joice George and his relatives at five places in Kottakambur, Idukki. Sources said the government had given it to four persons belonging to scheduled caste. He bought it from them in 2005. The revenue officials had verified the documents last week after they finally submitted them, ignoring three previous notices.

Paliath George, the father of the lawmaker, got its possession in 2005 and was registered in the name of the MP and other children. There are eight acres in the name of Mr George and his wife. Devikulam police had registered a case against him on January 7, 2015, during the UDF rule. "I have only four acres with me registered in my name by my father in 2005, nine years before I got elected. I haven't  misused my position as an MP for obtaining it," Mr George said. "I haven't  bought the land or took title deeds."

He said he had submitted the documents of remitting the tax as demanded by the RDO till 2017 March and that it was mysterious that an order passed without hearing him. The development has become a major embarrassment to the state government as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, in the Assembly,  absolved Mr George of any wrongdoing. There was nothing on record to prove he was involved in any irregularity because he had in his possession the land he had inherited. 

He said this in answer to a question by Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Intriguingly, Mr Vijayan had taken this stand even after the Principal Revenue Secretary's report was with the Government, confirming misdemeanours by Mr George and kin.  The report was submitted during the previous Government.