Meppadi Grama Panchayat Issues Notice to Muslim League Over Construction on Controversial Land

Kalpetta: The Muslim League’s township project in Wayanad’s Mundakkai for disaster-affected families has once again sparked controversy, with Meppadi Grama Panchayat issuing a notice to the party for violating building regulations. The notice, addressed to state president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, demands an explanation within seven days.

Authorities allege that the houses being built on the controversial Thrikkaipetta land violate construction rules, as seven “self-certified permits” were obtained for each house before completing the formal “land development permit” procedures. The League is accused of misusing the simplified government process intended to approve houses up to 300 square meters, proceeding with construction while falsely presenting that proper permits were in place.

Panchayat officials are scheduled to visit the site, and a stay order halting construction may be issued. Critics argue that the League’s actions not only violate regulations but also exploit disaster victims, framing their illegal construction as a welfare initiative while putting families at risk of delayed rehabilitation. Previously, the League had begun construction without approval, and when controversy erupted, attempts were made to justify the project as a service to disaster victims, a move widely criticized as misleading and unethical.

The controversy stems from land purchased by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Thrikkaipetta Vellithode, Meppadi, to build houses for victims of the Mundakkai–Chooralmala disaster. Reports by the Thrikkaipetta village officer revealed that most of the 11.5 acres in the area is plantation land sold illegally for housing purposes. Coffee plants and trees protected under plantation regulations were cut down, and construction permission was not obtained. The Vythiri Taluk Land Board has issued notices to former landowners, who are required to appear with supporting documents starting September 16.

The League is also facing internal criticism for paying exorbitant prices for land without construction clearance. In an area where plantation land typically costs around Rs 30,000 per cent, the League allegedly paid between Rs 98,000 and Rs 1.25 lakh per cent, spending over 12 crore rupees on land alone. A total of 40 crore rupees was collected for the rehabilitation project, which was promised to provide homes for 105 disaster victims. Of these, 87 families are on the township beneficiary list. League leaders insist that they possess valid land records and deny the plantation land claims, but the controversy has raised serious questions about transparency and accountability in the project.

The ongoing issues underscore a pattern of regulatory violations and questionable financial practices in IUML’s disaster rehabilitation efforts, suggesting that the welfare of victims may have been used to mask misuse of funds and procedural shortcuts. Families who declined township homes are being provided government rent assistance until August, but delays and mismanagement may force them to seek temporary shelter elsewhere, highlighting the human cost of these controversies.