The Hindu : Front Page : 4,046 ha in Marayur to be recovered

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Saturday, Jun 02, 2007
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4,046 ha in Marayur to be recovered

Staff Reporter

STF asks officials to complete survey and other works by Wednesday

KOTTAYAM: In one of the major efforts in resumption of alienated government land, the Special Task Force (STF), overseeing the restoration of encroached land in Munnar and adjoining areas, has decided to take back 4,046 hectares of land at Kanthallur village, near Marayur on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The resumption will be effected by June 7, said STF special officer K. Suresh Kumar on Friday.

The STF members - Suresh Kumar, Inspector-General of Police Rishi Raj Singh and Idukki District Collector Raju Narayanaswamy - on Friday inspected the spot which falls in the Chandramandalam area and later told mediapersons that the paper works, survey and other details would be worked out during the next few days. The officers had been asked to finish the work by Wednesday so that the land could be restored the next day, Mr. Suresh Kumar said.

Verification

Mr. Suresh Kumar said that from the information gathered from the people there, he was under the impression that a former Congress MLA from Devikulam and his brother had encroached upon a 24-hectare plot in the area. Another 121 hectares was encroached upon by a District Congress Committee secretary.

But the real situation could be ascertained only after verifying the documents. Many others held land in benami names. The land was not cultivated and sparingly populated and the impression the STF got was that the people staying there were not the real ones who owned the land, he said.

Mr. Suresh Kumar said there were two colonies within the 4,046-hectare area. One, a 50-hectare colony of the Scheduled Castes and the other a 50-hectare colony of the Scheduled Tribes. These colonies would stay as such, but the land they held would be non-transferrable, Mr. Sureshkumar said.

Resurvey

The STF, during the resurvey, had found that Tata Tea Ltd. had unauthorisedly planted tea in 7 hectares of land over which they had control in the Karadippara area. This land was leased to Tata Tea as fuel land and was not meant for tea plantation. The area was now held by Kanan Devan Hill Produces Co.

Meanwhile, restoration of encroached land on the Pallivasal-Munnar stretch continued for the second day on Friday. The STF team removed tea plants from both sides of the NH 49 which were raised by the KDHP Co.

The STF put on hold its move to demolish the Claude Nine Resorts at Chinnakanal following the directive from the Kerala High Court, giving 24 hours' time to the company for removing their possessions from the unauthorised construction. The action against the resort has been initiated for violation of provisions under the Cardamom Hill Reserves Act.

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