In an apparent cover up in a case related to the alleged encroachment and reclamation of land in violation of law by the Water World Tourism Company in which former Transport Minister Thomas Chandy is one of the directors, the State Attorney appeared to have concealed a land survey report detailing violations from the Kerala High Court.
The High Court on January 17, 2018, while considering two petitions filed against Mr. Chandy which sought registration of a case against him, ordered a detailed survey of the land at Marthandam Kayal and submit a report in three months.
However, a RTI reply revealed that land survey had been completed before the court issued an order in that direction.
It says that survey was completed on December 22, 2017. Further, on January 8, District Collector T.V. Anupama directed the Kuttanad Tahsildar to initiate action based on the report. The Collector told State Attorney K.V. Sohan about the land survey report and the action taken on January 11. However, when the case came before the Kerala High Court a week after, none of the information had been divulged and the court ordered a detailed land survey.
As per an earlier probe report prepared by the District Collector, Water World Tourism Company, the promoters of Lake Palace Resort, violated rules and reclaimed paddy fields for construction purposes at Marthandam Kayal. The report noted that the company violated the Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, diluted the Kerala Land Conservancy Act, and undermined the Land Reforms Act.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court last week quashed a notice issued by the Collector to Water World Tourism Company seeking explanation with respect to the alleged encroachment and reclamation of backwaters by the company-run resort. It revoked the notice after observing that survey and block numbers of the land mentioned in the notice issued to the company were wrong.
