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Kerala launches eviction drive to clear encroachments Idukki
Revenue officials and members of the task force proceeded to lock and seal the doors of the building on the land and placed a board signifying that the land now belonged to the government
Kochi: A special task force (STF) constituted by the Kerala government cleared an illegally encroached piece of land belonging to an individual in Chinnakanal panchayat of Idukki district on Thursday in what is tipped to be the start of a major eviction drive in the fragile hill station of Munnar, officials familiar with the matter said.
STF’s eviction drive began as early as 6 am in the plot of land measuring five acres and 20 cents converted into a cardamom farm that was found to have been encroached by a man named Tiju Kuriakose, an official said. The land is located close to the catchment area of the Anayirankal dam.
“The notice for eviction was sent to the private individual and though he had filed an appeal before the district collector, it was dismissed. There was also a building on the encroached land where the farm workers were staying,” a local ward member said.
Revenue officials and members of the task force proceeded to lock and seal the doors of the building on the land and placed a board signifying that the land now belonged to the government.
Meanwhile, a section of locals gathered near the eviction drive and slammed the district administration for targeting small farmers instead of big-time encroachers. “Small farmers in Chinnakanal are being targeted and their rightful lands being seized while big-time encroachers in places like Vagamon can continue to build resorts and hotels. Buildings are being erected with impunity in red-zone areas where no construction is allowed,” a local, who did not wish to be identified, told reporters.
The action of the STF comes on the heels of a directive of the Kerala high court in September to clear all illegal encroachments in Munnar excluding those who were eligible to title deeds. The oral order was in response to a PIL filed by an outfit named One Earth, One Life, which sought action against encroachments in Munnar and other areas of Idukki. The land revenue department has submitted a list of 326 encroachments in the hill station before the court.
The eviction proceedings in Munnar on Thursday came 16 years after a similar drive was launched under the leadership of then chief minister and CPI(M) leader VS Achuthanandan, which had gone on to generate a lot of controversy. At the time, even as the then government stood firm on reclaiming lands belonging to it, the chief minister’s own party opposed it and staged protests.
On Thursday, CPI(M) Idukki district secretary CV Varghese said that the drive conducted on the five-acre land was an isolated case and that the party believes further action on eviction should be taken only after careful examination of land records.
Varghese said, “The district collector has said that the 5-acre land in Chinnakanal was evicted following orders of the high court. We are of the opinion that further action should be taken only after careful inspection and we have informed the same to the collector. She said that this was an isolated case taken up on the orders of the high court.”
Meanwhile, revenue minister and CPI leader K Rajan said, “The government has already said that it does not view encroachments and migrant settlements through the same prism. It does not want to evict the poorest of people who do not even have land to bury their dead. As per the directions of the high court and the provisions of the Kerala Land Conservancy Act, 1957, the government’s proceedings will continue.”
