Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Probe on into land surrender deals

N.J. Nair

Vigilance cell to inquire into violation of Building Rules

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance cell of Local Self-Government Department has begun an inquiry into cases of violation of the Kerala Municipal Building Rules in granting zoning exemption and plan concessions to those surrendering land for development purposes.

The department has constituted a four-member Vigilance cell, comprising the Chief Town Planner, two Senior Town Planners and Deputy Town Planner, to inquire into specific instances of granting zoning exemption and disproportionate concessions for land surrender.

The cell has come across a number of cases in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in which licences were issued to construct residential apartments and commercial buildings even to those who had not surrendered land.

Sources said the cell had identified certain buildings in Thiruvananthapuram city that had got concessions disproportionate to the land surrendered by the builders for the City Road Improvement Project and structures in heritage zones without the clearance of the Art and Heritage Commission.

The cell had also listed buildings constructed on prime locations in Kochi in violation of the norms of the Kochi Municipal Building Rules and Cochin Structure Plan.

Instances in which landowners have availed themselves of concessions twice from the Government for acquired land have been detected. Certain landowners at Vyttila in Kochi have received the benefit twice. After surrendering a small piece of land to the Government at market price, they sell the plot. The new landowner again seeks benefit on the strength of the earlier surrender and pockets the benefits.

Lack of transparency in the land surrender system, laxity of the Revenue authorities in maintaining registers and frequent transfer of officials responsible for site inspection and issuing licences have been pointed out as major reasons for the spurt in such cases.

When the Government acquires private land for development purposes, the landowner has to submit a land relinquishment form that would be processed by the Revenue officials. There is inordinate delay in processing the applications and incorporating the details of the acquired or surrendered land in the Revenue records.

Neither the Revenue nor the civic authorities clearly earmark the surrendered land on the site and separate it from the private land with a wall or fence. This helps landowners to keep the surrendered land in their possession.

Alterations in the master plan and road development plan also come to their advantage, as the Government does not insist on recovering the money given for unused land from individuals. The cell has stumbled upon many such cases in Thiruvananthapuram, sources said.

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