VS Achuthanandan calls Munnar MLA S Rajendran henchman of land mafia

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave a clean chit to S. Rajendran MLA in connection with the alleged encroachment in Munnar, veteran leader V.S. Achuthanandan accused him of being part of the land mafia. He was asked at a press conference here on Tuesday whether those threatening to break the limbs of officials in Munnar, including the CPM MLA, were the land mafia’s men. Mr Achuthanandan, Administrative Reforms Commission chairman, shot back: “Is there any doubt about it ?”

On the allegation that Mr Rajendran’s house was located on encroached land, he said all these issues needed to be probed. If required, he would travel to the hill station in the wake of the recent encroachments, he said. “Munnar is ecologically sensitive and the area is witnessing climate changes. Encroachments are not limited to Munnar; our lakes, rivers and water sources are being encroached by private parties and they manage to get sanction for such unauthorised occupation,” he pointed out .

Mr Achuthanandan slammed Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala for describing the Munnar operation as a big failure. “Between 2006 and 2011, because of our strong stand we could take back 12,000 acres of land and demolish 92 unauthorised buildings,”he said. But after the UDF government came to power, the evicted land was encroached again by the land mafia. During this period, Mr Chennithala was KPCC president and home minister. “Was he sleeping then?” VS asked.

“I dare Chennithala to show at least one building that was demolished or one acre of encroached land that was retrieved during his tenure ,”he said. Mr Achuthanandan said the apex court had recently restored the Kovalam palace to the private party. Since the LDF government has received legal opinion that it should file a civil case, steps should be taken immediately in this direction, he added. The LDF government’s pace of work was not satisfactory. “We need to work for implementing the promises made in LDF manifesto,” he said.