AKG Centre built on revenue land, Kerala governor seeks vice-chancellor's report
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T'puram: AKG Centre, where the CPM state committee office functioned until recently, was built on revenue land in Vanchiyoor village in the state capital, the revenue department said in reply to an RTI application.
Since it is revenue (puramboke) land, the department did not receive land tax, the RTI reply stated. Meanwhile, governor Rajendra Arlekar is understood to have sought a report from Kerala University vice-chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal on the alleged encroachment of university land by CPM.
The Save University Campaign Committee submitted a memorandum to the governor, seeking urgent steps to reclaim the land, which the CPM allegedly encroached upon for setting up AKG Centre.
According to land revenue records, AKG Centre is functioning in 55 cents of revenue land, adjacent to the Kerala University Senate House campus.
The Kerala University vice-chancellor is expected to present the land encroachment matter at the next syndicate meeting and submit a report to the governor. It was former chief minister A K Antony who sanctioned 15 cents of land to the CPM for setting up a research centre. Later, the Kerala University syndicate decided to give 15 cents more to CPM.
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However, there are no records available in the district collectorate, taluk office or village office regarding the land allotment.
Due to the non-availability of land allotment documents, revenue officials refused to collect land tax from AKG Centre.
However, AKG Centre could obtain a Thiruvananthapuram corporation number and it pays Rs 10.5 lakh as property tax. SUCC, in its memorandum to the governor, claimed that AKG Centre was able to obtain a corporation permit using political influence.
SUCC alleged that the entire 55 cents of land under the custody of AKG Centre belonged to Kerala University. Although Antony and the university syndicate decided to grant 15 cents each to AKG Centre, the CPM failed to claim the ownership of the land legally. Further, it encroached on more university land. "If the governor fails to take steps to reclaim the land from AKG Centre, SUCC will initiate legal proceedings," said the committee chairman R S Sasikumar.
Meanwhile, the vice-chancellor met governor on Thursday and appraised him of the developments in the university.
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