Kerala to form SIT to probe KIIFB land acquisition irregularities
DIG Thomson Jose will lead the special investigation team into alleged procedural lapses regarding land acquisition in Kannur district.
The Kerala government has decided to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into alleged irregularities involving the acquisition of 4,896 acres of land in Kannur for industrial projects through the KIIFB, official sources said on Saturday.
DIG Thomson Jose will lead the SIT, which is expected to include officials from the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). An order to form the team is expected to be issued soon.
The investigation follows a government order issued on Friday that tasked the VACB with examining procedural lapses. A preliminary inquiry will be carried out before a formal case is registered.
The government order stated that the KIIFB approved the acquisition of 5,336 acres in Palakkad and Kannur during a board meeting on October 25, 2018, at an estimated cost of ₹12,710 crore.
The probe will examine if the decision was based on a concept note lacking cost-benefit analysis or viable projects. It will also check if land valuations followed the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
The investigation will also scrutinise whether real estate interests influenced the decision and if changes made to original project locations were proper. The move follows findings from an expert panel led by retired IAS officer Sudha Pillai.