New Delhi: Yesteryear star athlete P T Usha has complained of an encroachment on the property of the sports school run by her at Balussery in her native district Kozhikode.
"Illegal construction is taking place with the knowledge of the Panangad Panchayat on the land of the Usha School of Athletics," Usha, who is the President of the Indian Olympic Association and a Member of Parliament, alleged.
Usha claimed that trespassing and encroachment on the property commenced ever since she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha last year. Sobbing, she demanded Kerala Chief Minister to intervene so that the smooth functioning of the school could be ensured.
"Residents, including women athletes, are unsafe," she said while raising the issue in Delhi on Saturday. "The road passes in front of the women’s hostel. In the evenings drug users frequent the area."
Garbage too is dumped on the land of the school at times, Usha alleged.
“A red flag was installed on the school's land recently. It was removed after a complaint was made to the Chief Minister,” Usha said.
In response to this, BJP State President K Surendran alleged that CPM indulged in unwarranted activities against the Usha School of Athletics. He also alleged that CPM should refrain from their attempts to ruin the institute.
The property
The Usha School of Athletics came up on a 30-acre land at Kinalur, Balussery. It was allotted by the Oommen Chandy Government in 2010 on lease.
There are no records to prove that the panchayat has any rights over the land. Owing to financial difficulties, the land had not been fenced off with a wall and this has helped encroachers., Usha explained.
The construction was noticed on Friday and it has been halted for the time being after the authorities of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), which is the owner of the land, the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police (Rural), were contacted, Usha stated.
It would not be possible to continue the school at Kinalur unless the district administration and other authorities ensured safe environs, she added.
