The decision of the Muvattupuzha municipality to allocate land to the Kerala State Warehousing Corporation free of cost for constructing a road near the proposed indoor stadium site has been cancelled, as the civic body felt that the road construction would adversely affect the stadium project, according to an affidavit filed by it before the High Court.
The municipality said the decision was cancelled after the Corporation acted contrary to the conditions attached to the permissions granted for the construction of the road. The affidavit made it clear that the ownership and possession of the land through which the road was proposed to be constructed vested with the municipality, and it had not been handed over to the Corporation.
The controversy was triggered following the municipality’s decision to grant permission to construct a 220-metre road with 10-metre width near the stadium free of cost and a bridge across a canal at the expense of the Corporation. The municipality said the permission was granted subject to the condition that the rights over the proposed road would be vested with the municipality. Though the municipality had decided to hold further discussion, the Corporation tendered the work and sent a copy of the notice given to the contractor for the execution of the project. It was under such circumstances that the municipality decided to cancel its permission.
The affidavit was filed in response to a writ petition by Muhammed Luthfullah K.S. According to him, the government had allocated 14.41 acres in Muvattupuzha for the construction of the indoor stadium in memory of Olympian Chandrasekharan. The petitioner had accused the municipality of unlawfully allocating a portion of the land to the Corporation for constructing a road without the permission of the government. He added that the decision had called into question the integrity of the municipal council.
The land valued at around ₹25 crore had been allocated free of cost to the Corporation. The petitioner alleged that the decision was taken to help the land mafia fill nearby lands in the possession of private individuals.
