VS: Government should take over land from estate owners

Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said that the government should take over the land in the possession of Tata, Malayalam Plantations as well as the land held by estate owners in Nelliampathy, the lease period of which had expired, and distribute it to the landless in the state.

Inaugurating the District Collectorate siege organised by the CPM here on Wednesday, he said that these estate-owners have been clinging on to acres of land, when there are hundreds of landless in the state.

Achuthanandan said that the even the Forest Minister had stated that due to the suspicions surrounding the Nelliampathy estates land issue, it should be probed by the CBI.

A CBI inquiry is also necessary with some UDF MLAs who are claiming that the estate owners are poor farmers are fighting with the Minister over the issue. Achuthanandan said that the Chief Minister’s announcement that estate owners can utilise 5 per cent of land for tourism purposes will lead to a situation where lessees such as Tata and Malayalam Plantations will keep thousands of acres of land. He alleged that the State Government was attempting to sabotage the Kerala Conservation of the Paddy Land and Wetland Act by granting approval for wetlands and paddy fields reclaimed before 2005.

Functioning of Civil Station affected

The siege affected the functioning of the Civil Station housing various government offices including the District Collectorate and district courts.

Tens of thousands of CPM activists started arriving at the Civil Station premises from various parts of the district from 6 a m itself. A huge posse of police force was deployed in the area right from the early morning.

The activists blocked various entrances to the Civil Station. Police had placed barricades at all the entrances of the Civil Station. Majority of shops adjacent to the Civil Station too remained closed, as the activists did not allow anyone to enter the area. Traffic regulations were in place from early morning. The traffic snarls worsened with various vehicles reaching the area carrying activists from various parts of the district. Students of some schools and offices in the area too had to walk all the way from the High School Junction and Anandavalleswaram as the buses and vehicles were diverted.