Kerala   

Lease-expired forest lands to be taken over

G. Prabhakaran

``Forest Development Corporation will run the estates"

PALAKKAD: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that all forest lands with expired lease agreements will be taken over by the State Government.

Talking to The Hindu here on Sunday, the Chief Minister said the Government would not renew the expired agreements.

He said these estates would be run by the State-owned Forest Development Corporation, or any other agency, as was done in the past in Nelliampathy, Idukki and other areas. The estate workers would be protected.

The Chief Minister said, "The Government has initiated steps to take over such leased forest land and also those that have their lease agreements violated."

He said that action would be taken against officials who failed to initiate steps to take over the lands, thereby allowing Government property, valued at several crores of rupees, into the hands of private parties.

Those duty-bound to protect public property had colluded with the powerful "forest mafia" in many cases. That was why in places such as Nelliampathy and Idukki, lease-expired and lease-violated estates still remained in private hands.

The forest lands leased by the Maharajas were vested with the Government after Independence, but these were still under occupation of private parties, and they continued to sell it without the knowledge of the Government.

Asked about the controversy over the ownership of Cardamom Hill Reserves, the Chief Minister said the Government would take steps to protect the forests and revenue lands under it.

The Government, while protecting the leased forest land, would also take steps to see that small cardamom farmers were not put to hardship.

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