MUNNAR: District Collector Sheeba George has given permission to Udumbanchola Tehsildar to acquire the government land occupied by Mathew Kuzhalnadan MLA in Chinnakanal. This was after accepting the report of the Land Revenue Tehsildar.

A hearing will be held after receiving the survey report from the village officer. Acquisition will follow. In the title deed, one acre of land including 'Capithans" resort is in the name of MLA. However, Vigilance investigation found that 50 cents of government land has been encroached. This has also been confirmed by the revenue department. Vigilance had found that registration or land mutation was not possible as it was the land involved in the Surplus land case and there had been irregularities in the land registration as well. The fact that there was a building of 1,000 square feet on the resort land, was concealed at the time of registration. This building is worth Rs.18 lakhs. The government lost the tax due. The vigilance found that 50 cents of government land was encroached and a protective wall was constructed and the resort was standing on land belonging to Surplus land.

'I have only the land I had when I bought the property. Not even a cent of land has been encroached upon. Registration was done by obtaining Nijasthithi certificate for the land. The site has only natural boundaries and no enclosure. It is also not correct to say that government land was encroached and the wall was built. There used to be a retaining wall along the road. It was strengthened when it collapsed. I came to know about the surplus land case only when the vigilance informed."

-Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA