Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Forest Department not to interfere in development works at Nilackal

Staff Reporter

Chandy to hand over land documents on June 16

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Minister for Water Resources and Forests, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, said the Forest Department would not interfere in the development activities proposed by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) at Nilackal, once the forest area was handed over to the Board on June 16.

Mr. Radhakrishnan was addressing a press conference at the Pathanamthitta Press Club on Friday. According to him, the TDB would have to remit Rs. 5.80 lakhs per hectare towards compensation and Rs. 50,000 per hectare for afforestation purposes to the Forest Department as a prerequisite for diverting 122 hectares of forestland at Nilackal and Sabarimala.

The Minister said the Government had chalked out a transparent land transaction scheme and the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, would hand over the documents of the Nilackal land transaction to the TDB at a public meeting in Nilackal at 9 a.m. on June 16.

Pampa Action Plan

Mr. Radhakrishnan said the formalities for the allotment of 12.675 hectares of land in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) to the TDB for providing basic pilgrim facilities were under way.

The National Wildlife Board had cleared the proposal to divert 12.675 hectares of land in the PTR and the TDB has to move the Supreme Court for its mandatory final clearance for diversion of land in reserve forests, he said

The Minister said the 11 projects in the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan could be launched once the forest land was allotted to the TDB.

He said the Government would seek Central clearance for the second phase of the Pampa Action Plan immediately after launching the first phase.

Ganja cultivation

Mr. Radhakrishnan said illegal ganja cultivation in an extent of 650 acres was destroyed in the raid conducted on May 24 to 26 in Kambakkallu, Manappetty and Kadavari.

The Minister claimed that ganja worth Rs. 30 crores had been destroyed in the three-day raid.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Forest Department not to interfere in development works at Nilackal

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu