CPI(M) leader's son-in-law who heads co-op bank blocks revenue survey of land
A team of officials from the Revenue Department who arrived to survey 21 acres of land, leased out by Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), was blocked by V A Kunjumon, the president of Rajakkad Cooperative Bank in Idukki and the son-in-law of former Power Minister MM Mani. A dispute is underway over the land, as it was allegedly handed over to the CPI(M) controlled Rajakkad Cooperative Bank without the permission of the state Revenue Department.
Head surveyor PS Jayachandran Nair and surveyors Suresh and Ajith, reached the spot on Saturday, February 19. But V A Kunjumon, accompanied by local CPI(M) leaders opposed the team and insisted that they will not allow the survey to take place without the presence of KSEB officials. Following this, the survey team informed the Udumbanchola tehsildar and cancelled the survey.
"The Revenue Department will move forward with the survey process in the land. We will issue a notice to KSEB and then conduct the survey,” an official from the department told TNM.
Rajakkad Cooperative Bank president V A Kunjumon told TNM that the survey team had reached the spot without issuing a notice. "The KSEB Hydel Tourism Wing had handed over the land to our bank. If the survey team comes with KSEB officials we will not oppose the survey. Now, the land is under the custody of the bank and without prior information, we will not allow the survey,” he said.
In 2019, the KSEB controlled Hydel Tourism Wing handed over 21 acres of land to Rajakkad Cooperative Bank for tourism purposes, but it became the centre of a political row as the opposition had alleged that this was an illegal allotment to help the bank led by the minister's son-in-law.
Idukki District Congress Committee (DCC) general secretary Bijo Mani, who first raised the issue, said that the Revenue Department should conduct a survey of their land with police protection.
In 2019, Udumbanchola tehsildar submitted a report to the Idukki District Collector requesting verification as the land was included in non-surveyed “Poramboke" land. The Revenue Minister had also sought a report from the Idukki District Collector.
The Collector's findings, based on the report by Udumbanchola tehsildar, pointed out that the 21 acres of land in Ponmudi was indeed revenue poramboke land. The report also recommended a verification in the area. But despite this, the poramboke land was handed over to Rajakkad Cooperative Bank in October 2019 without the approval of the Revenue Department.