Even as the Kerala government is in a haste to rent space for the office of Rebuild Kerala in a controversial complex that is owned jointly by the Kerala Law Academy and others near the secretariat, the government has shown no hurry in finalizing the report sought from the registration department on all the lands held by the Academy.
The registration department was asked in 2017 to hold an investigation into all the lands and properties held by the Kerala Law Academy, which also included the controversial property near the secretariat that the government is now hiring for the office of Rebuild Kerala.
Despite the revenue department’s demand to file the report at the earliest, the registration department is alleged to have shown no interest in finalizing the report.
The sources said that there was a purposeful delay on the part of the registration department. They alleged that the report was being delayed as there was political pressure on the officials in the registration department to delay the report.
The officials in the revenue department said that there was no need for two long years to file a report on the details sought. Moreover, as the properties of the Law Academy were questioned, it was for the registration department to file the report at the earliest. They alleged that the report was being held back only with the intention to help the Law Academy.
The sources said that the CPM’s soft stand to the Law Academy was well known.
The Rebuild Kerala initiative has already landed up in controversy with the government alleged to be spending lakhs of rupees for renting an office outside the secretariat and also that too in a private apartment when there was enough space in the Secretariat. Moreover, the government has been criticised for spending lakhs of rupees for furnishing the office of Rebuild Kerala.
Calsar Heather, the controversial building where the government has rented space for rebuild Kerala, was constructed by the Law Academy along with Heather Builders. It was alleged that they had constructed the complex flouting rules as the land was said to have been given to the academy for only educational purposes.
