KANNUR
A People's Action Council in Panur has accused an all-party committee led by K.P. Mohanan, Koothuparamba MLA, of unauthorised collection of funds to buy land for the construction of a taluk hospital there.
E. Maneesh, chairman of the council, said that the committee was set up in 2014 when Mr. Mohanan was a Minister in the Oommen Chandy Cabinet. It collected funds from people in 2015 claiming that the government had approved a proposal to upgrade the community health centre at Panur to a taluk hospital. Though they reportedly collected over ₹4 crore, the process was neither audited nor the receipts subjected to public scrutiny.
When the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and the District Legal Services Authority held an inquiry based on Mr. Maneesh's complaint, the committee claimed that 1.23 acres of land had been identified an advance of Rs 1.5 crore paid to the land owner. Mr. Maneesh, however, alleged that the money was handed over without a proper agreement.
"They did not submit the details of the fund collected claiming that the process was not over. They also said that the land would be purchased immediately. It has never happened, " he said.
Meanwhile, the Left Democratic Front government that came to power in 2016 sanctioned Rs. 25 crore for land acquisition and construction of basic infrastructure for the community health centre.
Charge refuted
The people's committee, however, denied these allegations.
K.P. Praveen, one of the members of the committee, said only Rs. 74 lakh was collected from the people. Mr. Mohanan, as chairman, had taken Rs. 26 lakh as loan from various people to buy the land. When the land deal did not take place, the land owner returned the money. It was deposited in two bank accounts. The collected funds would be handed over to the government during the construction of the hospital, he said.
Mr. Maneesh sought to know the source from where Mr. Mohanan took the loan. “Why he did not furnish the details to the committee?," he asked.
