Oppn stalls Assembly proceedings over ISRO land deal

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 7 (UNI) The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) stalled the proceedings in the Kerala Assembly for the second consecutive day today demanding the resignation of Forest Minister Benoy Viswom and a CBI inquiry into the ISRO land deal.

Slogan shouting members of the UDF rushed to the Well of the House demanding a statement from Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on the deliberations of a high-level meeting he held with ISRO officials yesterday.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister told newspersons that the sale of government land to ISRO by a private party was illegal and instead, the government was willing to provide 200 acres of land free of cost to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for setting up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology here.

The Opposition insisted in the wake of the new developments, the Forest Minister should resign as he was involved in the move to de-notify the vested ecologically fragile land near Ponmudi in this district.

They alleged the Chief Minister was trying to protect his Cabinet colleague involved in corrupt deals.

Earlier, Speaker K Radhakarishnan turned down a notice by Mr K M Mani of the Kerala Congress(M) for an Adjournment Motion, saying the same issue came up before the House yesterday also.

However, he said the Opposition can raise the issue as a submission and the Chief Minister would reply to it. The Opposition insisted it should be discussed in detail.

Amid sloganeering, the Speaker rushed through the day's proceedings and adjourned the House for the day.

The deal involved 82 acres of land purchased by the ISRO from the private individual near Ponmudi Hills in the district for setting up the IIST to create future space scientists.

It was part of the 707.23 acres Merchiston Estate taken over by the government under the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Act of 2001.

The ISRO entered into a deal early this year for the transfer of about 120 acres of land from Mr Xavi Mano Mathew. In the first phase, 82 acres of land was given. Mr Mathew had purchased 707 acres of land in Ponmudi from the Birla Group in 2005 at a throwaway price.

UNI