THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Human settlements and car showrooms have cropped up on plots set up for industrial development. This was revealed in the report of the CAG on Economic Sector, which was tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday. In 2014, during the UDF tenure, the Industries Department had decided to allot land not exceeding five per cent of total land area of development areas and development plots to service sector industries such as logistics, godown, and food court, which are generally considered as supporting infrastructure for industries operating in these plots.
The audit observed that the land thus allotted were misused in most of the cases, and the activities of the units for which the land was allotted did not support the industries operating in the DAs and DPs. “It was also seen that some entrepreneurs protested against the unauthorised activities of these units,” the report stated. Moreover, according to details provided by the general manager of the district industrial centre in Ernakulam, the land allotted to service industries in Edayar development area was more than the permissible five per cent. In another instance the 12.21 acres in Cheruvannur village, Kozhikode, allotted in 1964 to West India Steel Company for steel re-rolling mill, foundry and workshop activity, became dysfunctional in 1997. During joint physical verification with departmental officials, the audit team found that the land was being used by Indus Motors, a Maruti dealer, as vehicle showroom.
Kerala Land Conserv-ancy Act, 1957, stipulates that government land is not to be occupied by anyone. If unauthorised occupation takes place, the illegal occupier is liable to pay a fine and would be summarily evicted by the Collector. Moreover, any crop or other product raised on the land will be forfeited and any building or structure erected will also be forfeited. The Audit found that vast acres in development areas have been encroached upon by families, in a DA in Koppam Village in Palakkad along 54 families had encroached.
