Kerala urges Centre to examine land deal

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1 (UNI) The Kerala government today urged the Centre to examine the complaints regarding the sale of land by public sector Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) to a Mumbai-based company for setting up of Cyber City project near Kochi.

State industries minister Elamaram Kareem said the government had written to Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Santosh Mohan Dev to look into the matter.

However, he evaded a direct reply to questions on the CPI's demand for cancellation of the deal if any irregularity was found, saying that it was for the cabinet to decide.

A controverry arose following the handing over of the land, which was given to the public sector HMT by the State government free of cost, to the Mumbai-based Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd for purpose 'other than industrial.' The HDIL had put in a proposal for 'building a township in Kalamassery' to cater to the IT industry.

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