Chandy demands stop to construction by Blue Star on HMT land

Kochi, Feb 2 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy today demanded that the government stop Mumbai-based real estate developer Blue Star Realtors from constructing on the land sold to it by public sector HMT in a controversial deal here.

Talking to reporters after a visit to the site at Kalmaserry here, Mr Chandy said the company was putting up in great haste a boundary wall around the 70 acres bought by it from HMT.

Reiterating the opposition UDF's demand for a judicial probe into the controversial land deal, Mr Chandy said the probe should cover the role played by two ministers (Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem and Revenue Minister K P Rajendran) in the deal.

''If the government has nothing to hide, why is it hesitating from ordering a judicial probe,'' the former chief minister wondered.

He also said that Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan could not wash his hands off the matter as documents had now surfaced showing that his office had interevened to help the company get the land registred in its name.

Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh Chennithala, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, demanded that the government take back the land sold by HMT to Blue Star Realtors.

Accusing the LDF Government of helping the land mafia in the state, he said that he would sit on a 24-hour hunger strike in front of the State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on February five to protest against the government's failure in checking the rise in prices of essential commodities.

UNI ARC KKS1805