Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and power department have initiated measures to reclaim the 100 acres of land that it had transferred free of cost to the Kochi SmartCity project.

The move would complicate the state government’s efforts to revive the project after excluding Dubai-based TECOM. This is because the Industries Department recently announced that the entire 246 acres of land set apart for SmartCity would be utilised for the new project. Incidentally, a section of the CPM supports the KSEB’s move.

In 2007, the board handed over 100 of the 206 acres it had set aside for the development of the Brahmapuram project to SmartCity, following instructions from the then Chief Minister, V S Achuthanandan. However, as this land had been purchased by the KSEB, the then Electricity Minister A K Balan noted in the file that the board should receive its market value. Subsequently, KSEB sought an amount of Rs 55 crore as compensation from the government, at Rs 55,000 for each cent.

Achuthanandan, utilising the discretionary powers of the chief minister, decided to transfer the 100 acres free of cost to the SmartCity. At the same time, authorities said that the board still holds ownership of the 100 acres as the transfer of the land is yet to be registered. The office of the power minister said that a formal communication would be sent to the government in this regard based on legal advice. KSEB officials also feel that compensation should be sought from TECOM for holding possession of the land for 17 years without carrying out any developmental activities on it.

Ironically, Achuthanandan, as opposition leader, had severely criticised the move to transfer KSEB’s land to SmartCity when the then Oommen Chandy government signed an MoU for the project. He also alleged that there was a move to usurp land worth Rs 350 crore with the connivance of the government. But, when he came to power later, Achuthanandan transferred not only KSEB’s 100 acres but also 10 acres belonging to KINFRA (Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation) to SmartCity.