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Walkout over land sale

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) members staged a walkout in the Assembly on Wednesday in protest against what they termed the government’s refusal to order a judicial inquiry into the sale of public land at Kanjikode in Palakkad for a paltry sum.

The Opposition demanded a judicial inquiry into the land deal on the ground that the land would have fetched a far higher price if sold in the open market. However, the government took the position that the deal was transparent and had been effected observing all the relevant norms.

Raising the issue through an adjournment motion, K.C. Venugopal (Congress) asked how the Left Democratic Front government could have sold the land when the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had strongly opposed a similar move by the UDF government. At the time, the UDF government was forced to cancel sale of the land for establishment of small and medium enterprises following strong objections from the CPI(M). The land, measuring 3.20 acres, was sold at the rate of Rs.1,790 a cent. It would have fetched at least Rs.3.20 crore, he claimed.

Industries Minister Elamaram Karim said there was no procedural lapse in the sale of the land. The application for the land was received by the District Industries Centre and cleared by the Directorate of Industries and sold to the applicants at a price that was proportionate under the law to the price at which it was acquired in 1970 at Rs.100 a cent.

The land had been given on hire purchase terms on the condition that the persons who had bought it would set up their industrial units in the land given to them within six months. The persons who had bought the land cannot use it for any other purpose. They can make the payment in instalments or at one go.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said it was regrettable that there was no transparency in the transaction.

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