THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vigilance's 'Operation Conversion' raids to detect irregularities in land conversion have uncovered massive fraud. A private agency's mobile number was given in 700 applications. Applications with same phone numbers were found in Palakkad-166, Thrissur-154, Chengannur-93, Nedumangad-86, Muvattupuzha-66, Punalur-44, Fort Kochi-21, Perinthalmanna-19, Kottayam-14, Ottapalam-13.

The stage was set for this by individuals and organizations advertising promising that the land notified under the Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act will be removed from the data bank. The fee to reclassify land from 10 cent to 50 cent is up to Rs 3 lakh. Even retired revenue officers are agents.

From the RD offices, the application will reach the agriculture offices. The fraud is by influencing the agriculture department officials and the local-level monitoring committee members there.

Even properties registered after 2017 have been reclassified. Two acres of land in Idukki has been reclassified as cheap land. Land was reclassified in Kottayam and Perinthalmanna, overruling the recommendation of the monitoring committee. It was also found that someone applied for land reclassification in Mananthavady without the knowledge of the owner.

The condition that 10 percent of the land should be converted to water storage to reclassify 50 cents of land is not followed. This fraud is in Thiruvananthapuram, Nedumangad, Kollam, Punalur, Alappuzha, Chengannur, Kottayam, Pala, Fort Kochi, Muvattupuzha, Palakkad, Ottapalam, Kanhangad, Vadakara, Malappuram, Perinthalmanna.

Vigilance Director TK Vinodkumar informed that the inspection will continue.