Kerala: Illegal land deals of previous UDF govt to be cancelled, says LDF

Kottayam (Ker): The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Friday said it would cancel all "illegal land deals" approved by the previous Congress-led UDF government during the fag-end of its tenure.

"Steps will be taken to rectify the illegal decisions on land (done during the tenure of UDF government). All illegal decisions will be cancelled and such land will be brought under the ownership of the government," state Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan told a meet-the-press programme.

He said a ministerial sub-committee constituted by the government to look into the irregularities in the orders issued by the previous UDF government, is currently examining 47 controversial land deals.

The sub-committee, headed by Minister for Culture A. K. Balan, will meet at the end of August and take a decision on these issues, Chandrasekharan said.

The sub-committee is examining the orders passed by the previous government from January 2016 onwards.

During the Kerala Assembly election campaign, LDF had said that a high-level probe would be launched to identify people behind alleged "dubious land deals" by the UDF government, if the Front was voted to power.

The previous Oommen Chandy-led government had cancelled a decision to hand over about 127 acres of "surplus" land spread over Ernakulam and Thrissur districts by according concession under the Land Ceiling Act to a private company, allegedly having links with a "controversial godman".

The then government had also been forced to backtrack on granting permission to an eco-tourism project in 420 acres at Methran Kayal backwater paddy fields at Kumarakom village in Kottayam district and a super speciality medicity project in 47 acres of paddy land at Kadamakkudy in Kochi.