Thiruvananthapuram, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday accused the Kerala government of ordering a politically motivated Vigilance investigation into land acquisition for industrial development projects in Kannur and Palakkad, warning that the move could disrupt development initiatives in the two districts.
In his first detailed response after the government order authorising the probe became public on Friday night, Vijayan alleged that the Congress-led UDF government was manufacturing allegations and using the Vigilance Department to pursue a predetermined political agenda.
The investigation concerns land acquisition through the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) for the development of Kannur airport and the Kochi-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.
The government has ordered a probe into alleged irregularities involving the acquisition process, land valuation, compensation and financial decisions.
Questioning the decision, Vijayan asked why a Vigilance inquiry had been ordered without a preliminary departmental investigation or any supporting report. He alleged that the government had first raised allegations and then initiated an inquiry based on preconceived conclusions.
Defending the land acquisition process, he said it was not a sudden initiative but part of procedures that began nearly two decades ago and continued during the previous UDF government’s tenure.
Vijayan said Kannur airport required industrial parks and allied infrastructure in its vicinity to become fully operational. He also pointed to the shortage of land for industries and infrastructure projects as a major challenge facing Kerala.
He maintained that the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) was only a funding agency, while the Revenue Department was carrying out the acquisition through Special Tahsildars in accordance with the Central Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
He further pointed out that the present government had acknowledged that the entire area of land mentioned in the Vigilance reference had neither been acquired nor had the corresponding amount been spent.
Including land for which only preliminary procedures had begun in the scope of the inquiry was questionable, he said.
Warning about the wider implications, Vijayan said the investigation could discourage continuity in land acquisition for public projects whenever governments changed.
He argued that if the government believed additional land was not required, it should take a policy decision to discontinue the acquisition rather than order a Vigilance probe.
Vijayan said any obstruction to the proposed industrial parks in Kannur and Palakkad could affect investment, employment opportunities and economic growth in the two districts.
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