Govt Bid to Sell ‘Puramboke’ Land to Help KGS Group.

published on June 4, 2014

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even though the State Government has  said that it will not challenge the National Green Tribunal decision on Aranmula airport project, it is all out to help the KGS Group, the promoters of the project, by proposing to sell around 40 acres of puramboke land in the project area.
 In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, it was decided that the puramboke land at the project site having an approximate area of 40 acres would be sold for the purpose of implementing the project at a price fixed by the Revenue Department as per the prevailing market rate.
 The minutes of the meeting convened on February 7, which is with ‘Express’, also said that the application for exemption from land ceiling for the proposed land should be examined on the same lines of the allotment of land for medical college in favour of Abraham Kalamannil.
In the meeting, it was said that the government had the power to give exemption to such projects meant for public purpose. Pointing out that puramboke land was public property and the government could not sell off the land, highly-placed officials said that puramboke land were generally given for public purposes. As per the Kerala Land Assignment Act, puramboke land cannot be assigned as such. However, the government has the powers to assign puramboke land for public purpose, which, the officials said, was not involved here .“It is only for a business purpose that the puramboke land is being sold, which is against the law,’’ they pointed out. Coming out against the proposed sale of puramboke land, Aranmula Paithruka Grama Karmasamithi patron Kummanam Rajasekharan  said that the government could not sell puramboke land, which was public land, on its own.“The land can only be given for public purpose. The move is to get sweat equity in the company, which is business-oriented. No public property can be sold for taking share in business,’’ he said.
He added that there was no public interest here as it was for business purpose that the government was selling the puramboke land. The government had taken such a decision at a time when it was finding hard to get land for the Zero Landless project. In the meeting, Revenue Principal Secretary Satyajeeth Rajan, Advocate-General K P Dandapani, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Environment) P K Mohanty,and officials of  Revenue,  Environment, Industries, Mining and Geology and Minor Irrigation were present.

Sources: http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Govt-Bid-to-Sell-Puramboke-Land-to-Help-KGS-Group/2014/06/04/article2261943.ece