Wayanad Collector replaced

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 24. The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to replace the Wayanad Collector, Mr. N. Mohandas, for his failure to take action against irregular issue of title deeds and cutting of trees at the Vattoli estate in the Mananthawadi taluk of Wayanad district.

It named Mr. Viswanath Sinha as the new Collector of the district. The Government suspended six revenue officials from service in this connection.

The Revenue Minister, Mr. K. E. Ismail, told presspersons after a Cabinet meeting that the revenue officials had granted title for 139 acres in the estate in an irregular manner and connived with the beneficiaries in the cutting of trees from the land. The Revenue Secretary, Mr. Jiji Thomson, who inquired into the matter found that the title deed for the land was issued by manipulating the survey records. The Secretary had reported that there was failure on the part of the Collector to inquire into the matter and take action.

Mr. Ismail said the suspended officials were persons who had been implicated in the preliminary report submitted by the Revenue Secretary. The suspended officials are: Mr. K.E. Rajan, Peria special village officer, Mr. C. Saseendran, former revenue inspector at the Mananthawadi special tahsildar, Mr. George Joseph, Mananthawadi deputy tahsildar (forest), Mr. P. Rajan, Mananthawadi special tahsildar (land revenue), Mr. K.N. Diwakaran, Mananthawadi tahsildar, and Mr. T. Vasudevan, junior superintendent of Wayanad Collectorate.

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Section  : Southern States
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