Panel to probe financial dealings of HML

After taking up with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Enforcement Directorate and other Central Financial institutions with regard to the alleged financial fraud of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, the state government has initiated a Financial Implication Committee to look into all the financial aspects of the company.

Revenue minister Adoor Prakash said that the government was taking very strong steps in getting back all the lands in their illegal possession. A committee has been initiated for looking into all the financial aspects of the company,'he said. 

Stating that the government will not deter from taking back all lands from illegal encroachers in the state, he said that the revenue secretary had held discussions with regard to the constitution of the committee.

It is learned that the Financial Implications Committee will be headed by Additional Chief Secretary K M Abraham. Revenue Secretary Sathyajeeth Rajan and officials from the revenue are in the team. The Financial Implication Committee will be looking into all the financial dealings of the company. It would include the production that the company gets fdrom one unit area of land and also the profit that the company had made from 1950.

source: The New Indian Express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/265185/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/30-04-2014#page/5/1

Probe on into charges of KDHP's illegal toll collection

The Revenue department has initiated a probe into widespread complaints raised against the illegal tourism activities and levying of fee from public/tourists by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations.  The tourists and public are alleged to be taxed by way of entry charges, sight seeing charges, toll charges, road user charges and road maintenance charge, which cannot be done as per the Kanan Devan Hills Resumption Act.

The Land Board secretary, which has got an instruction from the Government Principal Secretary to look into the complaints, had directed the Idukki district administration to look into the issue and file a report at the earliest.  

Highly placed officials said that they have been receiving complaints with regard to levying fee from the public as well as tourists.  They said that as per the Kanan Devan Hills Resumption Act, 1971, the public right is protected and the company has no right over the roads. Further the roads are now maintained by the concerned panchayats from the state fund. Moreover, they also have no right to sell the greenery to the tourists and above all the land is offered to them on lease for plantation purpose only.

It is alleged that the company was levying road user fee of Rs 50 and road maintenance fee of Rs 150. On the allegations, PWD secretary T O Sooraj told Express that an affidavit has been filed with the High Court in this regard. As per the KDH Act, the company does not have any right over the roads and the land has been given to them on lease for plantation purpose only, he said.

Public Interest Protection Association (PIPA) , on whose complaint the Government had now given the instructions, alleged that KDHP had erected check points in major tourist spots and roads.  PIPA Secretary V Mohan Kumar alleged that the road to Devikulam lake from Ciggerrete point, road to Mankulam side, Rajamally and to Pothenmedu were all blocked and fee was being levied. Though the authorities were intimated about this many times, they have not taken any action, he claimed. 

source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/262580/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/25-04-2014#page/4/1

Govt Mulls ordinance on HML; Majority against legislation on KDH lines

The Kerala government, which has toughened its stand against Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML), has set the ball rolling with a plan to bring in an ordinance to take back all lands in their illegal possession. Chief Minister Oomman Chandy is learned to call an exclusive meeting in this regard at the earliest, taking into the seriousness of the issue .

Though the government is learned to be in favour of an ordinance on the lines of KDH resumption, the ruling/opposition leaders and revenue officials are of the opinion that the ordinance should not be framed on the lines of KDH resumption. The revenue department has already prepared a draft legislation for retrieving the land and for its distribution for cultivation and purposes ancillary thereto under the control and management of the government. 

'Many flaws have come across in the KDH resumption. It has to been seen that the government is now engaged in many legal issues with the company even though the land belongs to government. It is alleged that they possess more land and are even ruling Munnar town. This should not happen when HML land is taken back.  Everything should be under the control of the government and history should not be repeated,'' they said.  

KPCC vice president and a member of the Green MLA group V D Satheeshan said ''it has been found that they have indulged in forging documents and engaged in all fraudulent activities. The government should not deter in taking back the lands. Once taken back, the government should have a  mechanism to utilise the land as it is the government's duty.''

T N Pratapan, another member of the `Green MLA brigade said that they will oppose any ordinance that would help those who now illegally posses the plantations. ''The vigilance has come across fraudulent documents in their possession. We cannot think of an ordinance on the lines of KDH. How can the persons who had exploited the state again given the Plantations?,'' he said.  The plantations should be brought under some cooperative society in which the employees of the plantation have some role, Pratapan said. ''If an ordinance is brought to help those who now possess it will be taken up in the party as well as the UDF,'' he said. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/262151/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/24-04-2014#page/4/1

Mookkkunimala quarrying: Local people plan social auditing

The people in an around Mookunnimala, who are on a relentless struggle against quarrying in the hill, has decided to intensify their agitation and has chalked out various strategies even as the agitation led by Mookunnimala Samara Samithi completed one month.

As many as 500 people, including a large number of women participated in the meeting held on Tuesday. In the meeting, the samithi had decided to intensify their agitation until the closure of all quarries in the region. Apart from launching a protest in front of the Pallichal panchayat office, they have decided to take the agitation to the secretariat.

The Samithi leaders said that they have decided to conduct a social auditing of the quarries. '' The people will be given awareness classes with regard to social auditing. They would then visit the quarries and inquire if the quarries were functioning legally with all necessary licenses,'' said  Madhusoodanan Nair, Mookkunnimala Samrakshana Samithi activist and Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishat Pravachambalam Unit president. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/262151/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/24-04-2014#page/17/1

Pond conversion: Lok Ayukta Appoints Adv Commission

The controversy over the conversion of a pond into a swimming pool in Pallichal Panchayat has taken a new turn with the Lok Ayukta appointing an Advocate commission to look into the issue. A division bench comprising Justice Pius C Kuriakose and Justice K P Balachandran appointed the commission with five points to be explored.

Jitu S Babu, who was appointed as the commission, on Monday visited the pond and took stock of the present situation. He told express that the report will be filed before Friday. Babu said that the court had asked him to look into four aspects.

It is learned that the commission had been asked to look into if it was a natural pond and if there was a spring. Moreover, the commission was also asked to record the area that as been filled and the portion of water now present.

The Division Bench had decided to appoint a commission after hearing the arguments of both the Panchayat and those opposing the conversion. It is argued that the pond was a natural pond under the government and was found in the survey records of 1920. The panchayat and others had argued that the pond was dry whereas the petitioner had convinced the court with pictures that water was still in the pond. Earlier there were allegations that the water filled pond was dried up for facilitating the conversion. A petition has been already filed with the panchayat, agriculture office and the police, alleging that the pond that was almost full in the recent showers was dried up only to create an impression that it was always dry.

Source: the New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/261616/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/23-04-2014#page/17/1

Mookunnimala Quarrying: Agitation to be Intensified

The relentless struggle against quarrying  in Mookkunimala has gained momentum with the people in the Pallichal Panchayat firm for the closure of the quarries, which has been causing environmental and health hazards. The residents in the Panchayat for the last many months have been in continuous struggle even as the panchayat authorities maintain that quarrying can be stopped once the departments of Mining and Geology, Pollution Control Board and Revenue stops giving license for the quarries.

Though the Mookkunnimala Samrakshana Samithi (MSS) has been staging a protest for the last many years,  they have deiced to go for a widespread agitation, including a sit -in  in front of the secretariat until the quarry units are shut down. They had staged asit-in in front of the  Panchayat office in the first week of this month, demanding revocation of licences renewed to quarrying units.

Some of the Samithi leaders had even boycotted the Lok Sabha elections.  Stating that they were for the closure of the quarries, MSS convenor Nanappan Nair said that the struggle would continue till the last quarry stopped its activities. ''Almost 70 per cent of the hill is gone. It is high time that the remaining hill is protected,'' he said.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/259109/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/18-04-2014#page/17/1

Amendment to Kerala Land Reforms Act put the Govt in a fix

The State Government and the Land Board is in a fix over the practical implementation of the Amendment brought to the Kerala land Reforms Act, which gave exemption to cashew estates. Though the amendment was brought two years ago, the Land Board officials are in a quandary as the amendment, which they say have no clear guidelines and is incomplete.

Even though the amendment was brought in 2012, the Land Board has been continuously raising doubts over the implementation and the negative impact it would have on the land reforms. The confusion is very evident from the latest direction sent last month to the Land Board secretary that the amendment should only be followed. 

In the 2012 amendment, no specific cut of date for the plantations has been said, which has added to the confusion.  As per the amendment, any land having not less than 150 cashew trees per hectare before and after the amendment was brought in can be given exemption. The land board has been demanding the government to come out with specific guidelines as the present amendment brought in could hamper the good intentions of retrieving surplus land, which could be used for public purposes. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/258626/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-04-2014#page/4/1

Kerala State to move SC against Stay order in HML case

The state government is likely to move the Supreme Court against the Stay  granted by the High Court on the criminal proceedings initiated against officials of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) in a case relating to forgery of documents and survey maps. The Supreme Court is being approached, alleging that the stay was granted illegally against the statute of the apex court.

The High Court had recently extended the stay even when the case was reserved for passing judgment. Highly placed officials in the Revenue department said that all these would only lead to a slow down of the government's initiative in retrieving the lands in the illegal possession of the HML and others.

A high level meeting held recently, represented by the Vigilance director, Home secretary, revenue Secretary, law secretary, Special government pleader (revenue) and other officials had concluded that the stay was illegal and there was an urgency to move the SC in this regard. 

The government is of the opinion that the Statutory powers under section 19 (3) (c) has been overlooked while granting the stay. As per this section, no court shall stay the proceedings under this act on any other ground  and the court shall exercise the powers of revision in relation to any interlocutory order passed in any inquiry, trial, appeal or other proceedings. 

Source

The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/253850/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/07-04-2014#page/4/1