The land under the control of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) at Ponmudi, near Munnar, which has been given on lease for a hydel tourism project of the Rajakkad Service Cooperative Bank has landed in a controversy after the Revenue department held a land verification survey there claiming it was revenue land.
The KSEB gave 21 acres in the Ponmudi dam area to the bank on lease for 15 years to run its hydel tourism project after V.A. Kunjumon, bank president and son-in-law of former Electricity Minister M.M. Mani, made a request.
An application was given to the Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC). A meeting of the KHTC on February 28, 2019 ratified the decision to hand over the land. KSEB Chairman B. Ashok had contended that the KHTC was part of the KSEB and the land was handed over without government permission.
However, Mr. Mani had said the land was handed over to the cooperative bank as per procedures. It was the one that quoted the highest price. Moreover, he said, the decision was taken by the KSEB and he as the Electricity Minister was not involved in the process.
However, Communist Party of India district secretary K.K. Sivaraman had said there were serious lapses in the land deal and it was done without following proper procedures.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary C.V. Varghese said the land was handed over to the bank on proper channel as there were good prospects for hydel tourism there. He said if there was any land-related issue, the Revenue department should have conducted a joint verification with the KSEB. He said the land was under the KSEB.
