By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) Friday said it would look into the alleged illegal land deals surfacing in Kerala, including the deal by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to buy land near the Ponmudi hill station for a proposed space institute.
“We are meeting again on Sep 5 and will look into more alleged land deals that have surfaced in Kerala. There are about seven land deals, and it includes the one of ISRO. We shall have all the documents ready and look into the matter,” UDF convenor P.P. Thankachen told reporters here after the coalition members met.
The ISRO land deal has been in the centre of controversy as part of the land suspected to belong to the state forests department.
State Forest Minister Binoy Viswam had on Thursday stated in the presence of ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair that it was a shady deal and a portion of the 82 acres purchased belonged to the forest department. ISRO purchased it from one Savy Mano Mathew.
Several illegal land deals where politicians are involved have surfaced in Kerala and it includes buying and selling of either government-owned or forest land and re-selling it.
In a related development, state Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla has offered to step down after the ruling Left Democratic Front recommended a judicial probe into his alleged illegal land deal.
Last month, a treasury bench legislator P.C. George had alleged that Kuruvilla and his three children had accepted Rs.67.5 million from Kuwait-based businessman K.G. Abraham for the transfer of a plot of land.
“Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has been shouting about ‘land mafias’ but he has a cabinet minister who is involved in such dealings. He is yet to sack Kuruvilla. We will not sit idle if Kuruvilla does not step down,” said Thankachen.