Land grab victims will get back lost property: Govt

The Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government today underlined its determination to act against land grab cases, in which connection many DMK functionaries have been jailed, assuring victims their "lost property" would be reclaimed.

"Since May 2011, 2,491 complaints (on land grab) have been received by the special cells. We will continue to act against such land-grabbers and ensure return of such lands to the rightful owners," Finance Minister O Panneerselvam said, presenting the Tamil Nadu budget for the year 2011-12 here.

He said affected people who have "lost their property" could be assured that they would get back the property. The provisions he made under Law and Order segment in the first full-fledged Budget of the year came even as DMK earlier staged a walkout, claiming police was "foisting" cases against its functionaries.

DMK senior leaders including former Ministers Veerapandi S Arumugam and N KKP Raja, Chepauk MLA J Anbazhagan, senior leader Kalaivanan and some aides of Union Minister MK Alagiri have been jailed on land grab charges, which party leader M Karunanidhi and his son among others have described as "vendetta politics."

DMK has been protesting against this, demanding to know why the Jayalalithaa government was not taking action on AIADMK men against whom similar complaints had been filed.

Panneerselvam assured that the government was committed to taking strong action against criminals and anti-social elements to ensure peace and added that police would be allowed to discharge their duties freely and effectively to instill confidence in the minds of the public.