Kerala government faces embarrassment over Tata land

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an embarrassment for Kerala's ruling LDF in its drive against encroachment, the government today clarified that a vast stretch of land retrieved in Munnar under the personal initiative of the chief minister was not in the possession of the Tata Group as was claimed earlier.

In a statement made in the assembly, Revenue Minister KP Rajendran said about 1300 acres 'taken back' by the eviction
task force in Munnar in Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan's presence was in the possession of the forest department.

Rajendran, a CPI nominee in the cabinet, said the land in question was vested with the forest department through a
decision of the Land Board in 1974.

Achuthanandan, who was in Munnar two days ago, had then claimed the land was held by Tata group's Kanan Devan tea estate and was in excess of the land allotted to it.

He had also asserted that this marked the beginning of the process to retrieve about 50,000 acres allegedly held by the Tata Group.

The Tata Group had clarified that it had nothing to do with the land as the property had long been vested with the forest department.

Leader of Opposition Ommen Chandy had on Wednesday  demanded a clarification from the government since conflicting claims had been made over the take-over of the land.