Kannur land deal triggers assembly showdown; VD Satheesan questions cost and delay as Pinarayi defends 5,200-acre acquisition

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The acquisition of thousands of acres of land in Kannur by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) triggered a heated exchange between Pinarayi Vijayan and V.D. Satheesan in the Assembly over the land's suitability for construction and the delay in utilising it.

Satheesan said an expert committee appointed by the High Court had found that the land had been excavated to depths of up to 10 metres. The remaining portions had been filled with waste material and sludge after excavation, he said. Pinarayi admitted that some portions of the acquired land had quarry pits but maintained that they were not quarries and could be used for industrial purposes. He accused the Opposition of ridiculing KIIFB without recognising the progress made in infrastructure development.

Satheesan questioned why 5,200 acres had been acquired in Kannur when similar land acquisitions had not been made in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi or Kozhikode. He said the original decision to acquire 1,000 acres had been revised, increasing the area to 5,200 acres. He alleged that no development had taken place on the land, purchased for Rs. 1,000 crore, in six years. The loans taken for the acquisition carried an annual interest rate of 12 per cent, he pointed out.

Pinarayi said land acquisition accounted for only 5.9 per cent of the total amount allocated for KIIFB projects. He pointed out that the Revenue Department was responsible for acquiring the land. He described the report submitted by the Sudha Pillai committee as the most regressive document in the history of development.

‘Was the bell rung in London for socialism?’

Satheesan took a dig at Pinarayi over the latter's ringing of the bell at the London Stock Exchange while serving as Chief Minister, asking whether it had been a bell for socialism. The remark came as Satheesan accused Pinarayi of criticising privatisation in every context. He questioned why KIIFB was needed to borrow money when the government itself could raise the funds. If the debt had to be repaid from the state treasury, he asked, why was a separate agency necessary?

Land acquired with long-term vision, says Pinarayi

Pinarayi alleged that deliberate attempts were being made to create a misleading impression about the land acquisition process. He said comparing the compensation paid to landowners with market prices was unreasonable. The land had been acquired with a long-term vision for the development of Kannur airport, he said. According to Pinarayi, the land had been acquired in advance for the Kochi–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, industrial and IT parks, and an international Ayurveda research centre.

‘If you obstruct me, none of you will be allowed to speak’

Satheesan warned that if he was not allowed to speak, he would not allow anyone else from the ruling front to speak either. The exchange took place when the Opposition disrupted proceedings as Pinarayi was replying to the adjournment motion. “Even if you create a ruckus and obstruct me, I will finish speaking before I leave. If you prevent me from speaking, none of you will be allowed to speak,” Satheesan said.

The commotion began after Satheesan displayed a photograph of the land acquired by KIIFB in Kannur and said it was quarried land. Members of the ruling front also joined the uproar. The Speaker intervened and calmed both sides.