The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Implement EFL Act in real spirit, says Viswom

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Thursday, Jan 10, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Implement EFL Act in real spirit, says Viswom

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom has asked the officials not to use a law, meant for providing land to the tribals, for the benefit of encroachers.

Inaugurating a two-day refresher course for Assistant Forest Conservators in the Forest Complex at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar here on Wednesday, the Forest Minister said the Ecologically Fragile Land (EFL) Act, meant for the protection of a section of the society which was facing a lot of misery, had much social importance.

Mr. Viswom said Kerala to be the first State in the country to implement the law in its real spirit.

He contended that the EFL law was not enacted to harass small farmers.

Encroachers and owners of huge land holdings would try to present a distorted picture of the law. The Minister asked the forest officials not to bow to their interests.

The government’s objective was to protect the forests with people’s participation, he said.

The Minister added that the government proposed to find out whether the funds for checking forest fires were being utilised properly.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests T.M. Manoharan presided.

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