The land allotment to legendary former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan in Kathua district figured in the J-K Assembly Saturday, with some legislators questioning the government’s decision.
Muralitharan’s Cevlon Beverages was among a number of big industrial houses allotted land in Kathua’s Bhagthali Industrial Estate last year, percolating investments over Rs 21,000 crore on the ground.
Sources said that Cevlon Beverages has been allotted 206 kanals (25.75 acres) of land to set up a Rs 1,600-crore aluminium cans manufacturing and beverages filling unit in Kathua. The lease deed was executed with the department in June last year.
Without naming Muralitharan, CPI(M) legislator M Y Tarigami, during the Question Hour, pointed out that “a Sri Lankan cricketer has been allotted land in J&K. How has this allotment been made?’’
Questioning how a non-Indian cricketer was allotted land in J-K, Congress MLA G A Mir said, “This is a serious issue and needs to be looked into.’’
Responding to the legislators’ concerns, Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar said that the government has no information that a former Sri Lankan cricketer was provided land “free of cost” in the UT to set up an industrial unit and that he would look into it.
“This is a matter related to the revenue department. We do not have any information, and we will look into it to know the facts,” he said.
