Kozhikode/Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 25 (IANS) The opposition Congress Friday stepped up the demand for a probe into public sector Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) parting with government land for the private Cyber City project at Kochi and charged that state Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem was behind the deal.
Speaking at a press conference in Kozhikode, state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala alleged that Kareem has illegally handed over 200 acres of land belonging to HMT to various private parties.
“The illegal transaction of HMT land is just not confined to the 70 acres that was sold recently to the Mumbai-based Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) for the Rs.40 billion ($1 billion) Cyber City.
“The former Congress government had taken over the 651 acre of land from the HMT. From this the present government has sold around 200 acres to real estate companies and to big industrial groups. Kareem is the man behind this,” said Chennithala.
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has washed his hands off the project and failed to turn up for its foundation stone laying ceremony last Saturday. He has said the IT department, which he heads, has not cleared the project.
Leader of opposition Oommen Chandy told reporters at Malappuram Friday that Achuthanandan just could not wash his hands off by saying that his department was not aware of the project.
“If that was the case then why did he ask other ministers to attend the foundation stone ceremony? The best that Achuthanandan can do now is order a judicial probe into this and take back the 70 acres of land,” said Chandy.
Reports have now surfaced that the advertisement for the sale of the 70 acres of land appeared in just two national English dailies that have very low circulation in Kerala. Contrary to rule, the advertisement did not appear in any vernacular daily in Kerala.
Meanwhile, a petition under the public interest litigation scheme was Friday filed at the Thrissur vigilance court by George Vattukulam, president of an NGO, demanding a detailed probe into the role of Kareem and State Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran in the land sale.
The petition has been admitted and a hearing is scheduled on Feb 2.
Responding to the developments, Kareem told reporters at Kozhikode that this was nothing but a politically motivated controversy.
“The 200 acres of land were sold was to the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation. If there have been any lapses in the deal with HDIL, those responsible will be taken to task,” he said.