Row over land deepens

KOCHI: The rift between Thrikkakara municipality and the district administration over a piece of land near Edappally block panchayat office has deepened further.The municipal council that met on Thursday unanimously decided not to approve the district administration’s plans to hand over the land to three families, who were evicted for the proposed Metro Rail project.  The district administration had planned to take up the land near Edappally block panchayat office to rehabilitate the families.A resolution in this regard was also passed  at the meeting.Earlier, the district administration had initiated steps to allot the land to the evictees. “They could not take away the land which belongs to the Thrikkakara municipality. We have acquired this land about 15 years ago to set up an Ayurveda hospital,” municipal chairman P I Muhammad Ali said. He said there are lots of families in the municipality who are devoid of housing facilities. The authorities concerned have to  consider some other plot to rehabilitate the three families.But the revenue officials have already refuted the argument, stating that the land that was being allotted to the three families belongs to the government.  The municipality has encroached upon this land and they do not possess any sort of valid documents proving that the land belongs to them. When asked about the decision taken by the Thrikkakara municipality, District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth said there was no dispute over the fact that the land belongs to the government. But we will take steps only after considering the demands of the municipality. The municipal council meeting unanimously passed a resolution that took a firm stand that they would not allow the shifting of the PSC office.