Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31 Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday accused the Keralam government of using the proposed vigilance probe into KIIFB-assisted land acquisition in Kannur and Palakkad for political purposes, warning that it could derail industrial development and job creation.
In a statement, Vijayan alleged that the government was creating a false narrative about land acquisition and subsequently ordering investigations without conducting any departmental inquiry or relying on a formal report.
He alleged that the move amounted to politically motivated misuse of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and was intended to create suspicion around development projects.
Vijayan argued that the land acquisition was part of a process initiated nearly two decades ago and continued during the previous UDF government, and not a sudden or secret move as being portrayed by the present government.
He said the development of industrial parks and supporting infrastructure around Kannur airport was essential to make it fully operational and attract investments. Lack of adequate land for industries and infrastructure projects remained one of the major challenges facing the state, he added.
Vijayan said all records and financial details relating to the acquisition were available with the government and could be examined. He also clarified that the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) was only a funding agency and was not directly acquiring the land, describing claims suggesting otherwise as misleading.
Referring to the valuation of land, Vijayan said the government had issued an order on May 25, 2023, providing for a reduction of up to 80 per cent in the value of land with lower utility compared to other categories.
He also pointed out that the government had acknowledged that the entire extent mentioned in the vigilance probe order had neither been acquired nor paid for.
He questioned the inclusion of land where acquisition procedures were still at an initial stage and no actual acquisition had taken place.
Vijayan warned that such investigations could disrupt the continuity of land acquisition procedures for public purposes whenever governments changed, affecting future infrastructure and industrial projects.
If the government believed that additional land was not required for future development, it should have taken a policy decision to discontinue the acquisition process instead of ordering a vigilance probe, he said.
He further alleged that blocking industrial projects in Kannur and Palakkad would adversely affect employment opportunities and economic growth in the two districts.
Vijayan’s remarks came after the state government decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the proposed acquisition of 4,896 acres in Kannur for industrial projects through KIIFB.
The decision followed a government order issued on Friday entrusting the VACB with a detailed investigation into alleged procedural lapses in the proposed acquisition.
According to the order, KIIFB, at its 33rd board meeting on October 25, 2018, had approved the acquisition of 5,336 acres of land in Palakkad (470 acres) and Kannur (4,896 acres) at an estimated cost of Rs 12,710 crore for setting up large multi-sector industrial parks.
The order alleged that the decision was based on a concept note submitted by KIIFB without a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis or clearly identified commercially viable projects to establish the necessity and financial feasibility of acquiring such a large extent of land.
(PTI News)
