Kerala Officials Embroiled in Land Scandal: Vigilance Finds Widespread Corruption in Paddy, Wetland Conversions
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Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - In a major crackdown, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has discovered a massive land scam involving over 50 government officials in Kerala. The agency conducted searches in 59 offices of Deputy Collectors and Revenue Divisional Officers, unearthing corrupt deals in converting agricultural and wetland areas into housing plots. The operation, code-named Haritha Kavacham, was authorized by VACB Director Manoj Abraham after the agency received information that wetlands and paddy fields were being systematically excluded from the data bank. Officials allegedly collected bribes from applicants to carry out these irregularities, violating the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008, and related rules. The searches uncovered a racket involving land mafia and real estate agents, where paddy and wetland areas were being converted into plots for construction, and houses were being built for sale. Officials were reportedly providing favourable reports to facilitate these conversions in exchange for bribes. The VACB found evidence of large-scale exemptions from the data bank in various districts, including Malappuram, where a single mobile phone number was used by 11 title deed holders seeking reclassification of their paddy fields as dry land. In Taliparamba, Kannur, the agency observed widespread exemptions to benefit real estate development. In Muvattupuzha, Ernakulam, illegal transactions between real estate developers and revenue officials amounting to over ₹16 lakh were uncovered. The VACB has launched a thorough investigation into the scandal, which is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the officials involved and the state's land policies.
