Land grab, land disputes rampant:Kannan demands probe

Puducherry, Nov 27 (UNI) Puducherry Munnetra Congress (PMC) President P Kannan today demanded a thorough probe into incidents of land grabbing and land disputes in the Union Territory.

Addressing a press conference here, he alleged that the menace of grabbing land was prevailing since long and the government should bring out details as to which political party the culprits were affiliated.

He also charged that 99 per cent of the culprits were in one way or the other, connected with those in power.

He alleged that more houses were being grabbed, but poeople were reluctant to come out openly and lodge a complaint as several ''dadas'' were behind the crime.

Those arrested in connection with the land dispute at Lawspet recently were wanted criminals, but their previous crimes were being hushed up, he charged.

He also alleged that the number of anti-social elements under the pretext of real estate had also increased here.

Wondering why the Puducherry administration was not taking any precautionary measures against terrorism while even neighbouring Tamil Nadu was on alert, Mr Kannan said the Puducherry administration was reluctant to introduce even 'Goondas Act' here.

He also called for stringent measures to check illegal sand quarrying and smuggling of liquor here .

Demanding that the government should take steps with the Centre to announce Rs 1000 as support price for paddy, Mr Kannan said his party along with farmers would organise a massive agitation after giving one-week time to the government to act.

Answering a question on smuggling of ration rice thorugh Puducherry, Mr Kannan added the CBI should have intervened on its own since more than three states were involved. Also it is the duty of the state government to write to the CBI in this regard, he added.

UNI