Public Works Development Minister T U Kuruvila has got caught in a controversial land deal involving his family. Allegations as serious as the condition of roads and bridges in the State, were raised against him on Tuesday.
The minister and his family are accused of selling cardamom hill reserves in Idukki on lease from the government to a private group in Kuwait for setting up a resort.
 It was Kerala Congress (S) leader P C George who raised a barrage of charges against the minister belonging to the front in the LDF. He alleged on Tuesday that  Kuruvila had taken the State assembly for a ride by contradicting his statement in July about the source of the Rs 6.75 crore his children had received. The minister had then told the House that they had received the money through the sale of land in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. “However, the minister yesterday contradicted that statement and admitted that he got the money from the sale of cardamom reserves to Kuwait-based K G A group,’’ George said.
He said the minister’s son-in-law was the general manager of the group and alleged that the minister had in effect converted his black money to white through the transaction.  Kuruvila who represents Kerala Congress (J) and George are both leaders of the ruling LDF.