Vigilance commences probe into KIIFB land acquisitions

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has launched an investigation into alleged irregularities in land acquisitions undertaken using funds from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) in Kannur and Palakkad. As part of the preliminary investigation, the Vigilance team has collected documents from KIIFB relating to fund allocation and land acquisition.

Procedural lapses The government had two weeks ago instituted a probe by the VACB into the alleged procedural lapses during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s tenure in its decision to acquire 4,896 acres in Kannur and 470 acres in Palakkad at a cost of ₹12,710 crore through KIIFB apparently to establish industrial zones. It has been alleged that the decision had been allegedly taken merely on the basis of a concept note prepared by the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA), and was not based on any comprehensive cost-benefit analysis based on land requirement, financial viability and concrete projects.