The Congress on Monday demanded that a case be registered against Transport Minister Thomas Chandy for alleged encroachment of backwaters in Kuttanad in Alappuzha district.

In a letter to Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the Alappuzha Collector had submitted a report to the State Government saying that the Minister had encroached large area of land including wetlands in violation of Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008.

“Based on the report, necessary steps should be taken to prosecute Chandy under Section 12 (1) of the Act before the Alappuzha Chief Magistrate Court, Chennithala said in his letter.

“Delaying action against Chandy could be seen only as a challenge to the law of land,” he added.