Thiruvananthapuram:
Refuting allegations against him in a plea relating to the Nelliyampathy estate land case, Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) leader KM Mani on Wednesday said the charges mentioned in the petition filed in the Vigilance Court were without any basis.
However, he welcomed the vigilance probe ordered by the court and said anybody could level allegations against anybody in a private plea.
It was the court's duty to examine the truth of the allegation by ordering a probe, he said, adding that it was a normal procedure of the court to have an inquiry.
Kerala Congress (M) was of the view that lease violation should be treated seriously and legal action should be initiated against those who violated lease rules, he said.
Strict action should be taken against encroachers, he said.
But, while implementing the Ecologically Fragile Land Act, a clear distinction between the forest and cultivated land mentioned in the law should be made, he said.
In the name of EFL, the cultivated land of farmers should not be taken away and interest of the real cultivators should be protected, he said.
An amendment brought in the EFL act clearly states that lands under cultivation of various cash crops, in other words plantations, should not be treated as EFL land, he pointed out.
The petition had alleged that Mr Mani and Government Chief Whip PC George, also a Kerala Congress(M) nominee, had a role in helping estate owners in Nelliyampathy pledge forest lands and avail huge loans from banks and suspected encroachments of government lands.
Mr Mani distanced himself from Mr George's reported statement which favoured private owners of controversial estates at Nelliyampathy in Palakkad district.
"What I am saying is the policy of Kerala Congress (M)," he said.