Kottayam Vigilance court seeks Thomas Chandy report

The court acted on a petition by JD(U) leader and advocate M K Subash that Chandy constructed a road to his resort reclaiming 2.5 acres of paddy fields.

A Vigilance court in Kottayam on Saturday ordered a quick verification report into the allegation that NCP leader and Transport Minister Thomas Chandy constructed ancillary facilities at his resort in the Alappuzha backwaters violating wetland regulations. The court acted on a petition by JD(U) leader and advocate M K Subash that Chandy constructed a road to his resort reclaiming 2.5 acres of paddy fields and flouting wetland conservation norms.

The petitioner said the road was constructed utilising the local area development fund of CPI Rajya Sabha member K E Ismail and Congress Rajya Sabha member P J Kurien. The state exchequer lost Rs 85 lakh in the illegal construction, said the petitioner.

Chandy, who became Transport Minister in April, has been facing the heat of the Opposition and ruling CPI, which handles the land revenue department in the ruling LDF, over the alleged encroachment of lake and refilling of paddy field to construct a road to the resort and its parking ground. Chandy had dared officials to prove the charges.