UDF MLAs visit estates in Nelliampathy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Crisis brewing in the ruling Congress-led UDF over issue of taking over estates in Nelliampathy, whose lease period had expired, took a new turn when five Front MLAs visited them on Monday as part of a fact- finding mission, days after a committee appointed by it made a similar exercise.

In protest against the MLAs' visit, senior congress leader and convener of the committee M.M. Hassan resigned from his post, saying the legislators had virtually challenged UDF by carrying out a parallel visit to Nelliampathy.

V.D. Sateeshan, MLA, who led the team, said they had a fruitful visit and opinion of the general public was that the estates should be protected as forests.

Besides, Sateeshan, the team included M.V. Sreyam Kumar (JD-S), V.T. Balaram, T.N. Prathapan and Hibi Eden (Cong).


Sateeshan said they interacted with trade union activists, workers, representatives of environment groups and also owners of the estates. "We have not arrived at any conclusion. After verifying the records and documents, we will submit a report to the government," he told PTI.

The new team was of the opinion that the UDF Committee lost its credibility with the inclusion of Government Chief Whip and Kerala congress (M) nominee P C George, who, it alleged, was always arguing in favour of owners of estates.

There were allegations that George was in favour of handing over the estates to its present owners holding that they were farmers cultivating in the land for a long period.

The issue had also triggered a row between George and a Congress MLA T N Prathapan when the former made some 'unsavoury' remarks against Prathapan.

The open verbal spat between George and Prathapan was the offshoot of a letter by the latter to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy seeking steps to protect the state's interest in cases connected with the takeover of estates whose lease period had expired in Nelliyampathy in Palakkad district.

Some congress legislators have come out against George, arguing that the estates were in forest area and it should be conserved and protected by taking them over from the private owners after the lease period expired.