Kerala NDA vice-chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been in the eye of a storm lately over the resort owned by his strategic investment company Jupiter Capital Ltd at Kumarakom in Kottayam district. Portions of his resort were alleged to be built on encroached land and now, the revenue department has confirmed this and ordered those portions to be dismantled.
A notice has been issued by Kumarakom village panchayat secretary E Vishnu Namboothiri demanding that the resort buildings in the encroached land be demolished as they have been built in violation of Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008.
The notice stipulates that the buildings and adjoining walls of the Niraamaya Retreats, Backwaters and Beyond, owned by Chandrasekhar’s investment firm Jupiter Capital be dismantled within 15 days.
“According to the Panchayat notice, the resort owner has to dismantle it in 15 days or the Panchayat itself will do it,” Advocate Shoukath, who is representing civil rights group Jana Samparka Samithi told TNM.
This comes just two days after Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers affiliated to the CPI (M) vandalised the resort.
Following this, MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar had hit out at the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government calling it “left terror”. He accused the CM of unleashing violence on the resort, and said that political frustration was the fuel for leftist violence in the state.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s wife, Anju Chandrasekhar is one of the four Directors of the company and they have been accused of encroaching upon Vembanad lake in the district for constructing the resort.
Rajeev had said that if the CM, who also holds the Home Ministry post, is incapable of ensuring safety of women, children, investors and others, then he must consider resigning.
In a series of tweets on Friday, Rajeev alleged that the Pinarayi government "was stung by unrelenting media coverage on Pinarayi's complicity in Munnar encroachments."
Earlier, Kumarakom Panchayat president AP Salimon, a CPI (M) leader, had written a complaint to the Chief Minister, alleging that the luxury retreat owned by Jupiter Capital has encroached government land.
In his letter, Salimon alleged that a portion of poramboke land next to the Vembanad Lake had been encroached upon.
“The area surrounding the Neramadathodu canal has been taken. This is a crucial natural source of water for the people who live nearby. This land is also ecologically sensitive. The canal flows from Kumarakom to Vembanadu Lake”, Salimon said.