THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revenue minister E Chandrasekharan has directed the land revenue commissioner to enquire into the decision taken by sub-collector Divya S Iyer to cancel the Varkala tahsildar’s 2017 order to take over 24 cents of land in Ilakamon panchayat in Varkala. The minister’s decree follows a complaint filed by Varkala MLA V Joy against the sub-collector's action. “The government’s mandate is to protect public land,” the revenue minister said. “The land revenue commissioner has been asked to check whether there was any failure in performing this task,” he added.
Mr Joy had alleged that Ms Iyer, by her arbitrary action, was helping a close relative of a local Congress member who is an associate of her husband, Congress MLA K S Sabarinathan. He said that the disputed land had been identified by the local revenue authorities for the construction of Aiyroor police station, which was now functioning in a rented building. The sub-collector said that she had taken all the necessary steps required of an appellate authority under the Land Conservancy Act.
Mr Joy had alleged that Ms Iyer had not consulted with revenue authorities before cancelling the order to take over the 27 cents of land. Ms Iyer also clarified that she had not restored the land to the complainant but only cancelled the tahsildar’s order. “My decision was based on the evidence presented before me,” she said. “There was no conclusive evidence to show that the land in question was ‘poramboke land,” she added. Mr Sabarinathan, in a Facebook post, said that the Varkala MLA's compliant was puzzling.
“I had come to know of the issue only when Mr Joy informed me about it in a private conversation. I had told him that I was not aware f the issue and that we don't talk about such thing at home. Then, he seemed convinced,” Mr Sabarinathan said. “But then to complain to the minister that I had intervened illegally in the issue is puzzling,” his FB post said. Mr Sabarinathan said that it was against political ethics to cast aspersions on the private lives of others merely for political gain.
“Right at the time of marriage we had taken the pledge not to interfere in each other's official lives,” he said. The dispute relates to a piece of land, in four survey numbers, along the Parippally-Varakala state highway. Land falling in three survey numbers was restored to the complainant. The dispute is about the 27 cents in the fourth survey number (227). Local revenue officials say it is ‘poramboke land’, and Ms Iyer had concluded that they had not provided enough evidence to back the claim.
CPM demands quick suspension
The CPM district committee has toughened its stand against sub-collector Divya S. Iyer in connection with her controversial decision to cancel the takeover of 27 cents of land. CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan demanded action against Ms Iyer. "Staying the decision of the sub-collector is not enough. The government should order an inquiry by Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau. The land in question is worth crores of rupees. It has been given to a person who belongs to the family of late G. Karthikeyan's personal staff. It has been gifted by the RDO," he said.
The CPM alleged that the sub-collector had arbitrarily cancelled the takeover of 27 cents of land under survey number 227 despite the land being owned by the revenue department. She had flouted the set procedures to benefit an associate of her husband.
