AKG Centre land to be measured on Oct 6 after Kerala HC order
Synopsis
A nearly 50-year-old land dispute over the CPI(M)'s AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram reaches a pivotal moment on 6 October, when a court-ordered survey will determine whether the party occupies more than the 15 cents of Kerala University land sanctioned back in 1977 — with the Exalogic controversy adding fresh political heat to a long-smouldering issue.
Key Takeaways
The Kerala High Court has directed land measurement of the AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on 6 October 2026 .
The survey follows a PIL filed by Congress leader and Kerala University Syndicate member R.S.
Sasikumar , who alleges the CPI(M) occupies more than the sanctioned 15 cents of land.
The land was originally allotted in 1977 under then Chief Minister A.K.
Antony for a centre named after CPI(M) founder A.K.
The dispute dates back to at least 1987 , when then Opposition Leader K.
Karunakaran raised it in the Assembly.
The controversy has been reinvigorated by the Exalogic row, linked to former CM Pinarayi Vijayan 's daughter Veena Vijayan , over an address connected to the AKG Centre.
The Thiruvananthapuram Tahsildar will conduct the survey; notices have been served on Kerala University and the CPI(M) .
The land on which the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s iconic AKG Centre stands in Thiruvananthapuram will be officially measured on 6 October 2026, following a direction from the Kerala High Court. The court-ordered survey brings a dispute that has simmered for nearly five decades into a decisive new phase.
Background to the Dispute
The land was originally allotted in 1977 during the tenure of then Chief Minister A.K. Antony for the construction of a research centre named after CPI(M) founder leader A.K. Gopalan. The government order at the time sanctioned only 15 cents of land for this purpose.
Congress leader and Kerala University Syndicate member R.S. Sasikumar, who filed the public interest litigation that prompted the High Court's direction, has alleged that the CPI(M) and the AKG Centre now occupy a substantially larger area — reportedly including portions belonging to Kerala University and government puramboke land.
Who Will Conduct the Measurement
The Thiruvananthapuram Tahsildar has been directed to carry out the survey. Notices have been served on both Kerala University and the CPI(M), requiring them to ensure the presence of their representatives during the measurement exercise, according to Sasikumar.
A Dispute With Deep Political Roots
This is not the first time the land's boundaries have been contested. As far back as 1987, then Leader of the Opposition K. Karunakaran raised the matter in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The then Left government reportedly maintained that a measurement could be conducted if Kerala University formally raised the issue — a condition that was never acted upon for decades.
Notably, the dispute has acquired fresh political significance in the context of the controversy surrounding Exalogic, the IT firm linked to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter, Veena Vijayan. Sasikumar has questioned how a private business entity could list an address connected to the AKG Centre.
Current Status of the AKG Centre
The AKG Centre complex, which served as the CPI(M)'s state headquarters until April 2025, continues to house party offices and a spacious air-conditioned auditorium used for meetings and events. The party has since relocated its state headquarters to a new multi-storeyed building located nearby in Thiruvananthapuram.
What Happens Next
With the measurement exercise set for 6 October, the focus now shifts from decades of allegations to the physical boundaries recorded in official land documents. The survey's findings could have significant legal and political consequences for the CPI(M), Kerala University, and the state government, potentially resolving — or intensifying — a land dispute that has remained alive for close to five decades.
Point of View
On its face, a routine survey — but politically, it is anything but. The AKG Centre dispute has survived half a century of Assembly debates and litigation precisely because no government of any stripe found it convenient to act. The Exalogic controversy has now given the issue oxygen it previously lacked, connecting a land-boundary question to a broader narrative about the CPI(M)'s use of public and quasi-public assets. If the survey confirms encroachment beyond the 15-cent sanction, it will intensify pressure on a party already navigating post-Vijayan reputational headwinds. If it does not, the Congress will need a new line of attack on an issue it has nursed for nearly five decades.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the AKG Centre land being measured?
The Kerala High Court directed a land measurement of the AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram following a public interest litigation filed by Congress leader R.S. Sasikumar. He alleges that the CPI(M) occupies significantly more land than the 15 cents sanctioned by a government order in 1977, including portions reportedly belonging to Kerala University and government puramboke land.
When was the AKG Centre land originally allotted to CPI(M)?
The land was allotted in 1977 during the tenure of then Chief Minister A.K. Antony for the establishment of a research centre named after CPI(M) founder leader A.K. Gopalan. The government order sanctioned only 15 cents of land for this purpose.
What is the Exalogic connection to the AKG Centre dispute?
Sasikumar has questioned how Exalogic — an IT firm linked to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter, Veena Vijayan — could list an address connected to the AKG Centre. This has added a new political dimension to the long-standing land dispute.
Who will conduct the land measurement and who must be present?
The Thiruvananthapuram Tahsildar has been directed by the Kerala High Court to carry out the survey on 6 October. Notices have been served on Kerala University and the CPI(M) requiring them to have representatives present during the measurement.
How long has this land dispute been going on?
The dispute stretches back nearly five decades to the original 1977 land allotment. It was first raised formally in the Kerala Assembly in 1987 by then Leader of the Opposition K. Karunakaran, but no measurement was ever conducted until the Kerala High Court's recent direction.
