Coast Guard new radar station at Kochi's Puthuvype, govt leases out land

The state government has decided to lease out 8.09 ares of land at Puthuvype to the Indian Coast Guard to construct a new radar station. The lease amount has been fixed at ₹100/are for a period of 30 years on annual lease basis. 

The Revenue Department issued the order based on a request from the District Commander, ICG, Fort Kochi. The Land Revenue Commissioner submitted a report which said that the land has a fair value rate of ₹7.92 lakh per are and the total value can be fixed at ₹64.07 lakh for 8.09 ares of land. The area is not included under zones related to paddy-wetland, water bodies, coastal stretch, protected monuments, development zones, ecologically fragile area, forests and land leased out for mining. The area comes under CRZ-2, the revenue officials reported. 

The Finance department opined that leasing out government land free of cost will cause revenue loss and hence it cannot be accepted. The finance wing officials communicated to the General Administration department that lease amount can be fixed at 3% of  the market value when the land is handed over to the central government institutions and mandatory lease conditions may be incorporated. 

The Chief Minister, however, said that since it was a matter of national security and considering public interest, land can be leased out at a nominal rate of ₹100 per are.

The government has laid out a few conditions according to which all kinds of constructions shall be in compliance with the Coastal Regulation Zone norms and that if, in future, land is required for road development, installation of service lines and other basic infrastructure, ICG shall give away the land to the state government without demanding compensation.