Still smarting at the partial demolition of its office in Munnar as part of the anti-land grab drive of the Left government, the CPI today decided to take up the issue at the Left Democratic Front and demand an inquiry.

The CPI’s office in the hill resort is a multi-storeyed edifice, of which the party uses the ground floor and has leased out the upper stories to a private tourist resort. The government task force demolishing illegal structures on grabbed land in Munnar had found that its entire frontage was on grabbed revenue land, and promptly sent in the JCBs and bulldozers. Though many local politicians have been found involved in facilitating or grabbing government land themselves in Munnar, no other political party has yet had its own buildings razed.

The state CPI secretariat which met today slammed alleged efforts to paint the party as a land grabber, and asserted that it would demand that the LF discuss the “motivated aggression” against it. The secretariat resolved that this was necessary since the party’s complaints to Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan has had no effect. VS dismissed the charges against the demolition initiative today, saying those who made such allegations would cut a sorry figure once the facts are disclosed.

‘Drive to be intensified’

Aluva: A drive to evict encroachers on Government land will be intensified next week in Munnar town, K Sureshkumar, Special Officer Task Force said on Sunday. Sureshkumar said as directed by the Government, action would be taken against all encroachers without considering their party affiliations or groups. Sureshkumar had held over an hour’s discussion with Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan here. Huge constructions on Government lands were also detected in Munnar town, he said.

... contd.