By IANS,
Munnar (Kerala): Three years after illegal constructions in this popular hill station of Kerala were bulldozed in 2007 ahead of the V.S. Achuthanandan’s government’s first anniversary in office, widespread encroachments are again reported in Munnar.
Set 2,500 feet above sea level, Munnar in Idukki district is often called the “tea town” of Kerala because it has more than 50,000 acres of tea estates, first owned by James Finlay and Company, and changing hands a few times since then with Tata Tea taking over in 1983.
In one of his last judgments ahead of retirement last week, Kerala High Court’s Chief Justice S.R.Bannurmath lashed out at the Achuthanandan government and said that “green” Munnar has now become “brown” Munnar because of widespread encroachments by the rich and mighty.
Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy arrived here Thursday to get a first-hand look of the latest reports of encroachment. After visiting several places, he said the government has failed “miserably” and it is “a free for all for the encroachers”.
“The saddest part is that even the board that was placed by Achuthanandan as a symbolic act of taking over encroached land has disappeared and the encroachers have usurped even that land. All what we saw three years back of buildings being razed down was nothing but a cheap publicity stunt and today because of that action which was done in a improper manner, several cases are pending in the court,” he said.
Chandy stressed that the issue of settler farmers and the encroachers should be seen separately because settler farmers who are in possession of less than four acres of land which they are holding on or before July 1977 should be treated differently and they should be given title deeds.
“The Idukki district administration has miserably failed and the need of the hour is that stern action should be taken against the rich encroachers, while the settler farmers and adivasis should be given title deeds as per the law passed in 1977,” he said.
Munnar hit the headlines recently after reports surfaced that Tata is building a small check dam without clearance.
State Electricity Minister A.K.Balan told reporters that the dam has no sanction and is illegal as it is in an ecologically fragile area.
“We will first take legal steps and then see that the dam is demolished. Tata’s illegal activity in the government owned land in Munnar will be strongly checked from now on,” he said.
In Thiruvananthapuram, opposition Kerala Congress-M legislator P.C.George alleged the reason for the current widespread encroachment in Munnar is because the district offices of both the ruling Communist parties stand on land which has no clear title.
“Both the offices stand on land that has been acquired through forged documents. They know that they cannot take a strong stand against encroachers because they will also be in the dock,” he said, distributing copies of the documents which he claimed were forged.
Meanwhile, the cabinet subcommittee set up three years back to check encroachments is meeting in Thiruvananthapuram later Thursday to take stock of the present situation, while the liaison committee of the ruling Left Democratic Front is also meeting Friday to discuss the issue.