Thiruvananthapuram:
A N Rajan Babu, leader of UDF constituent JSS, has been named as the new convenor of the ruling Front's sub-committee to study the issue of ownership of estates in Nelliampathy in Palakkad district.
Congress leader M M Hassan, who was the convenor of the sub-committee to study the issue that led to a tussle between Kerala Congress (Mani) and Forests department, had resigned from the post recently protesting the visit of a few MLAs to the area before the visit of the sub-committee.
UDF convenor P P Thankachan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram after a meeting of Front leaders that it was not proper on the part of MLAs to have visited Nelliampathy sidelining the committee.
V D Satheesan, V T Balram, T N Prathapan, Hibi Eden (Congress) and M V Sreyams Kumar (JD-S) visited Nelliampathy last week for an on-the-spot assessment which had angered Kerala Congress-M and some Congress leaders.
Mr Thankachan also criticised government Chief Whip P C George for making open comments against the MLAs. The Chief Whip should try to co-ordinate the work of MLAs and he should not have criticised them in public, he said.
Mr Thankachan said the Nelliampathy issue should not be politicised. The UDF sub-committee would study the issue in detail and submit a report to the UDF liaison committee which would take an appropriate decision on the issue, he said.
The sub-committee would have its first sitting on August 24, he said.
While Kerala Congress-M, the second largest partner in the UDF, is opposed to the eviction of settlers in Nelliampathy, the Forests Minister K B Ganesh Kumar has taken the stand that estates, whose lease period had expired, should be taken over and protected as forest land.
Congress leader M M Hassan, who was the convenor of the sub-committee to study the issue that led to a tussle between Kerala Congress (Mani) and Forests department, had resigned from the post recently protesting the visit of a few MLAs to the area before the visit of the sub-committee.
UDF convenor P P Thankachan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram after a meeting of Front leaders that it was not proper on the part of MLAs to have visited Nelliampathy sidelining the committee.
V D Satheesan, V T Balram, T N Prathapan, Hibi Eden (Congress) and M V Sreyams Kumar (JD-S) visited Nelliampathy last week for an on-the-spot assessment which had angered Kerala Congress-M and some Congress leaders.
Mr Thankachan also criticised government Chief Whip P C George for making open comments against the MLAs. The Chief Whip should try to co-ordinate the work of MLAs and he should not have criticised them in public, he said.
Mr Thankachan said the Nelliampathy issue should not be politicised. The UDF sub-committee would study the issue in detail and submit a report to the UDF liaison committee which would take an appropriate decision on the issue, he said.
The sub-committee would have its first sitting on August 24, he said.
While Kerala Congress-M, the second largest partner in the UDF, is opposed to the eviction of settlers in Nelliampathy, the Forests Minister K B Ganesh Kumar has taken the stand that estates, whose lease period had expired, should be taken over and protected as forest land.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
