Vigilance SIT to collect documents from Kannur Collectorate regarding KIIFB land deal
A 10-member team led by Vigilance SP E N Suresh will examine documents as part of a probe into alleged procedural lapses.
The Vigilance Special Investigation Team (SIT) will collect documents from the Kannur Collectorate concerning land acquisition for KIIFB, according to sources from the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) told The New Indian Express.
The SIT has been directed to approach the Collectorate to examine these records as the next stage of the investigation. This follows a Cabinet decision to probe alleged procedural lapses in the district's land acquisition process.
The 10-member team is led by Vigilance SP E N Suresh and includes two DySPs and inspectors, with Headquarters DIG Thomson Jose monitoring the proceedings. The team previously collected relevant documents from KIIFB on Saturday.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan told the Assembly that all KIIFB transactions, including the Kannur land purchases, would be scrutinised. He stated that much of the 1,000 acres bought in Kannur was unusable and noted that an attempt to mortgage the land suggested its value was only a fraction of the purchase price.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the move on Facebook, calling it a 'cheap political game'. He argued that the land acquisition is a continuation of procedures started two decades ago and questioned why a probe was ordered without a prior departmental inquiry.
Vijayan also stated that the government had not made a policy decision to halt land acquisition for future development. The Finance and Revenue departments will provide technical assistance to the SIT probe.