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LDF panel not happy with officers

Special Correspondent

Committee wants action to begin with sharks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State committee of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) wants the drive to evict encroachers in Munnar to begin with the big players, but is still not happy with the officers posted to Munnar to head the special team to carry out the job.

The LDF committee, which devoted its entire discussion to the issue, had no doubt that the drive announced by the Government must proceed as planned. However, neither the CPI(M) nor the CPI was happy about the appointment of IAS officers K. Suresh Kumar and Raju Narayana Swamy to carry out the operation.

The committee had, at its meeting here on May 9, decided to recall the two officers or appoint another officer to supervise their operations. The decision was taken in the face of stiff resistance from Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who told the committee that since the decision to depute the two officers to Munnar on the special mission was taken by the Cabinet, it could be reversed only by the Cabinet.

VS absent

Significantly, Mr. Achuthanandan did not attend Saturday's meeting of the LDF committee as he was busy participating in the discussions connected with the signing of the Smart City Project here on Sunday.

The discussion on the Munnar land grab took place in the LDF panel could not go beyond a point in his absence. The Cabinet would, normally, meet only on May 16. It remains to be seen whether the Chief Minister would bow to the pressure from his own party and some of the alliance partners such as the CPI and decide to recall the two IAS officers. The LDF committee meeting on Saturday heard some leaders cautioning the alliance leadership and the Government against any such move as that would prove a big embarrassment to the ruling alliance and fuel the Opposition allegation that the whole campaign against land grab in Munnar announced by the Government was nothing but an eyewash.

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