Kochi: Nod for villas triggers row

KOCHI: In a bizarre incident, the Angamaly municipality has given building numbers to 20 villas built on a commercial basis which are learnt to be coming under the jurisdiction of the adjoining Thuravur panchayat, which calls for a vigilance inquiry to unravel the truth. The panchayat inquiry in this regard has reached nowhere while large-scale foul play is suspected in this. An official preferring anonymity said that a revenue inspector might have colluded with an engineer to give sanction to the project without even the knowledge of Angamaly municipality.

It is also learnt that the said villas have been built after filling paddy fields violating rules. Thuravoor panchayat acknowledges that the villas come within the jurisdiction of its eighth ward. The panchayat development standing committee chairman had raised the issue through a submission in the committee early this year. Following this, an official was authorised to inquire and submit a report. Interestingly, a report by a section of the panchayat office said that it was not able to fix the boundaries of the panchayat but the buildings on the side of the said villas, as close as 100 metres, were given building numbers by the Thuravoor panchayat.

The report of the section clerk was not attested by senior officials. The panchayat committee or its secretary did not take any follow-up action on it. The state government audit department is learnt to have conducted an inquiry into this, and a report is awaited. The size of the villas ranges from 1,750 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft. It is learnt that apart from the loss in terms of land development fee and building permit fee, the panchayat is losing Rs 1.4 lakh half yearly in own funds.