The Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajom (SASS) has expressed concern over the government order for acquisition of 2,263 acres of land on the Cheruvally estate in Kottayam district, invoking Section 77 of the Kerala Land Acquisition Act, after depositing a compensation amount in a court.
In a statement here on Friday, SASS president Akeeramon Kalidasan Bhattathirippad alleged that there was every reason to suspect a ‘‘hidden agenda’’ behind the government decision as it amounted to regularising an illegal transaction of the government land between two private parties.
The government land, leased out to Harrisons Malayalam Plantation Limited, should have been wholly vested with the State once its lease period expired. Hence, the sale of the land to the Believers Eastern Church itself was illegal.
It was wrong to pay compensation to a private party in the name of a government land acquisition, especially against the backdrop of the High Court direction to take over the land. The government should take over the land, instead of opting for land acquisition.
He said the proposed greenfield airport should in no way affect the serenity of the sacred pilgrimage centres of Erumely, Pampa and Sabarimala.
ISP plea
In another statement, Indian Socialist Party (ISP) State secretary C.P. John called upon the government to take over the five hectares of government land as stated in a report submitted by the M.G. Rajamanikyam Committee in May 2015. The government should distribute the land among the landless poor.
The decision to pay compensation for its own land in the illegal possession of the Church would pave the way for huge corruption.
