CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that if the Left Democratic Front (LDF) comes to power in the May 16 Assembly election, it will cancel all the controversial decisions taken by the outgoing Oommen Chandy government at the fag end of its term.
Addressing the media on Thursday at Kannur, Balakrishnan said large-scale corruption was involved in the government’s decisions regarding allocation of government land as well as permission given to corporates to land-fill wetlands. He called for a top-level investigation into the “land gifts” made by the government to the “real estate mafia”.
The LDF as well as the Congress have questioned several decisions taken by the United Democratic Front (UDF) government regarding land just before the Assembly election was announced and the model code of conduct came into force.
Following strong opposition from within the ruling party, especially Congress State president VM Sudheeran, the government was forced to cancel some of the decisions.
These include permission given to a business group for land-filling of nearly 130 acres of backwaters at Kumarakom in Kottayam district to set up a tourism resort, and to another company to build a medical tourism facility near Kochi by land-filling 47 acres of backwaters.
Forest landThe government had also given permission to a controversial estate which had allegedly grabbed forest land to pay tax on the land so that it could secure legal claim over the encroached land.
In yet another cancellation of government decision, the Chandy government has withdrawn permission to set up a ₹1,600-crore IT project after granting acres of excess government land to a company co-owned by a controversial godman.
The land in question fell within the Assembly constituency of MLA and Congress State vice-president VD Satheesan.
Secret permissionSatheesan, in an open letter to the Chief Minister, expressed surprise that he was unaware of the plan to build such a huge project in his constituency and wanted the Chief Minister to cancel the “secret permission” given to the godman.
The controversies over the granting of secret permissions and their cancellation later have led to public confrontation between the Congress and its Chief Minister, and triggered the allegation that top party functionaries are hurting the image of the government and thus the party’s electoral prospects.