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Status quo ordered at Kakkivani Malavaram

By Our Special Correspondent

PALAKKAD NOV. 25. The Palakkad District Collector, Sanjeev Kaushik, today directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) there to order status quo on Kakkivani Malavaram, a corridor between the Silent Valley National Park and the Muthikulam reserve forest.

The ``destruction'' of 35 acres of the corridor has invited strong protest from the Opposition Left Democratic Front, the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad and environment organisations in the State. The Collector told The Hindu today that the order was being issued with a view to ensuring that the remaining area was not destroyed.

Probe to be ordered

Our Thiruvananthapuram Special Correspondent writes:

The Forest Minister, K. Sudhakaran, told a press conference that the cutting of trees at Kakkivani Malavaram had taken place on land released to an individual on court orders. An inquiry would be instituted to identify and punish the officials responsible for not presenting the Government's case properly before the courts.

The Minister said the individual had eight acres of land in the area besides 92.2 acres which was vested with the Government under the Kerala (Vesting and Assignment) Act. When faced with contempt of court proceedings, the Government released the land but took it over again under the Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Ordinance. However, the petitioner challenged this action and got a favourable court order. He had also received permission to carry out agricultural activities in the eight-acre plot. The Government proposed to appeal against this before the Supreme Court. If the Government does not get a favourable verdict, it would acquire the land.

On the encroachment of forests at Pooyamkutty, the Minister said encroachers from about 30 acres of recent encroachments had been evicted. Asked about the remaining areas running into hundreds of acres, he said steps were being taken to evict the settlers.

The Minister said the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth Ordinance did not give any sanction to cut trees in forest areas. Responding to criticism of the Ordinance, the Minister said it only simplified the procedure for cutting 10 varieties of trees on land owned by private parties.

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