Panel to probe financial fraud of Plantation Major

After the Kerala government initiating the process of retrieving lands in the illegal possession of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, the government is all set to constitute a high level panel for looking into the alleged financial fraud of the company, including diversion of funds, tax evasion and availing of loans from banks.

The high level team will be under an official not below the rank of chief secretary. The team will also comprise of officials from Revenue, Finance, Tax, Survey and Registration departments.

The government decided to go ahead with unearthing the alleged financial fraud as it involves crores of revenue that is due to the government.

All financial dealings of the company that has a direct impact on the resumption procedures of the government with respect to the lands in their illegal possession will come under the probe. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/191334/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/29-11-2013#page/4/1

Aranmula Airport: Kerala Govt move dilutes Land rules

The Kerala Land reforms Act and the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act is allegedly being sabotaged with the government so adamant in allowing more reclamation and providing legal validity to the already filled fields for the controversial Airport at Aranmula and to give waiver to the excess land in the possession of KGS Aranumla International Airport Ltd. 

Legal experts and environmentalists who have already come out against the private airport says that the government's move will only dilute the very provisions of the Acts, which are considered to be landmark legislations.

They note that the government had the powers to grant exemption for conversion or reclamation of paddy land for public purpose but was subject to certain conditions. The exemption can be given only if it will have no adverse effect on the cultivation of paddy in the adjoining paddy land and also the ecological condition in that area.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/189499/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/25-11-2013#page/5/1

Aranmula Airport: Kerala's magnanimity when having tough time for giving land to the poor

The state government's move to hand over revenue land to the promoters of the proposed 
Private airport project at Aranmula comes at a time when the revenue department is going 
through a tough time to identify three cents of land each for the poor as part of the Zero 
Landless project.
Apart from Kannur and Kasargode, the landless outnumber the plots identified in the other 
districts. It has also been alleged that the government is giving prime land to the airport that
would have resulted in serious environmental disaster at Aranmula when the land distributed 
as part of the Zero Landless was mired in controversies related to ownership and its 
uninhabitable nature. Though the government claims to have identified about 75,000 plots in 
the first phase of the project, the proceedings have been completed only in the case of 
25,000 families. The government's hasty move to provide land to the KGS Aranumla 
International Airport Ltd has raised several questions even when apprehensions are there over
the implementation of the UDF Government’s flagship populist programme ''Zero
Landless Project''.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/188179/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/22-11-2013#page/4/1

Trivandrum Golf Course: Revenue Dept kept in the dark

The Revenue department, which is custodian of the Thiruvananthapuram Golf Course, has been kept in the dark even as the Cabinet in-principle gave an accord to the proposal for its takeover by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). 

The cabinet had last week given its nod to the proposal from SAI with regard to the taking over of the Golf course and transforming it into one of international standards. However, the officials in the Revenue department allege that they were not aware of this.

Even as the Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash denies any big issue, the officials point out that the golf course was taken back from the Golf Club after many struggles. There is no doubt that it is a big venture and could give a fillip to the golf course. But before taking any decision, the matter should have been discussed with the revenue department,  the officials said.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/186219/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/18-11-2013#page/4/1

Plantation Major's threat of Lay off not to deter Kerala Govt from taking back lands in illegal possession

Irrespective of a threat of a lay-off and close down of the estates, the Kerala Government, which has embarked on retrieving land in the illegal possession of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, is not for succumbing to the pressure tactics. It has decided to go ahead to initiate action under the provisions of the Kerala Land Conservancy Act. 

The Plantations Majors had sent letters to the State Labour department stating that it would be difficult to go ahead with the functioning of its estates. However, the government sees this only as a pressure tactics of the company in the wake of actions being initiated against it.

State Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash has said that the Government will not succumb to the pressure tactics and would go ahead with taking back lands in their illegal possession. 

The company had been adopting pressure tactics from the day the government initiated steps against them. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/183266/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/11-11-2013#page/6/1

License to KDH Bungalows; District Admn initiates steps

After alleged controversies were raised against the issuing of licenses to the bungalows of the Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Ltd in Munnar, the Idukki district administration is learned to take a decision on the unilateral decision of the secretaries of Munnar and Devikulam panchayats. The Devikulam RDO has submitted a report to the District collector in this regard. 

It is learned that the Devikulam RDO in his report had said that the panchayat secretaries had issued the licenses on the basis of the Ombudsman's order. The district administration will examine if the Ombudsman's order can be implemented in the wake of High Court order and other pending cases.

It is alleged that revenue and district administration have been kept in the dark while issuing licenses. Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan had come out against the decision, demanding the government to withdraw the order.

The licenses had been given when an interim order by the High Court clearly says that its concurrence and direction was needed for any decision related to giving license for Homestays or use of the land for tourism purposes. It had also directed that the order of the LSGD Ombudsman giving permission to grant licenses should not be implemented. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/181280/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/06-11-2013#page/5/1

Defying Court orders, KDH given licence for Home stays in Munnar , Kerala

Defying Kerala High Court's direction and contrary to Kerala government's objections, as many as 20 bungalows of the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited in Munnar have been given license for running Homestays. The Revenue and district administration have been kept in the dark while issuing license by the Munnar and Devikulam panchayats.

The panchayat authorities have also given NOC to M/s Muthoot Hotels Pvt Ltd to run tourist bungalows on the basis of the license already issued in the name of KDHP company.

In an interim order dated December 7, 2012 The High Court has said that its concurrence and direction was needed for any decision related to giving license for Homestays or use of the land for tourism purposes. The Court had also directed that the order of the LSGD Ombudsman giving permission to grant licenses should not be implemented. However, the Munnar and Devikulam Panchayat secretaries have issued licenses on the basis of the Ombudsman's order.

Devikulam RDO Madhu Gangadhar said that the NOC and the license has been issued without consulting the district administration or the revenue department.
Legal experts point out that the action of both the panchayat secretaries amount to contempt of court. There are allegations that certain political leaders leaders were behind issuing the license.
Source: The NewIndian Express
http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/180729/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/04-11-2013#page/6/1


 

Vigilance registers Case against HML, Revenue officials

The Vigilance in Kerala on Friday registered a case against Harrisons Malayalam Ltd and revenue officials after a preliminary inquiry found evidence of forgery of documents and survey maps with the Plantation Majors. The case has been registered against four company officials and four registrars who helped in allegedly forging the documents.

HML officials C Vinayaraghavan, Dharmaraj, Ravi Anand and V Venugopal are those against whom the Vigilance had registered the case. The registrars against whom cases were registered are T J Mariam, G Vijayakumar (both Punaloor), P S Sreekumar (Peerumedu) and N M Gopinathan Nair (Erumeli). The FIR was submitted before the Vigilance Court here.

The vigilance also proposes a special team for a detailed probe into the whole issue highlighted in the preliminary report submitted by investigating officer DYSP Nandanam Pillai.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/c/1862022

Green seeks speedy implementation of Gadgil report

A group of about 30 environmental groups from the state on Friday submitted a memorandum to Governor Nikhil Kumar, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan for the the speedy implementation of the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil report on the Western Ghats.

In the memorandum, they said there was great concern with respect to the fast deterioration of the Western Ghats and its profound adverse impact on the very existence of the people of the state.

After submitting the memorandum, environmentalists A Achuthan, Thayyat Balan and T Shobheendran said that Chandy had given an assurance that a meeting of those who support and oppose the Gadgil report will be convened within a month. ''The Chief Minister said that the environmentalists, farmer's organisations and quarry owners will be called in a single platform to discuss the report,'' Achuthan said.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/180117/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/02-11-2013#page/3/1

Zero Landless: Kerala faces uphill task

Even as Kannur is declared as the first Zero Landless district, the government faces an uphill 
task in implementing the project in most of the districts with the authorities finding it hard 
to identify lands.
Kannur and Kasargode are the only districts where the government has identified excess plots.In all the other districts, the landless outnumber the plots identified, which raises doubt over the implementation of the UDF government’s flagship populist programme of distributing three cents of land each to poor families in a bid to make the state a place without landless people 
by 2015.
Though land  is available in most of the  districts, the government is facing many hurdles. Land
such as those which have completed lease period, encroached lands and lands that have 
violated lease agreement are available, the officials said and alleged that there was no 
political will to take back these lands. 
It has been alleged that though the government claims to have identified of about 75,000 

plots in the first phase, the proceedings have been completed only in the case of 25,000
families. Moreover, several of the lands distributed were mired in
controversies related to ownership or already owned by other people. 

Source: The New Inian Express
http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/180117/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/02-11-2013#page/4/1