Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday inaugurated online the distribution of revised title deeds to the families settled in the Angel Valley and Pampa Valley villages on the forest fringes of Erumely.
Addressing the function, he said the occasion marked the realisation of a seven-decade-long dream of the settler farmers. As many as 521 title deeds, which were subjected to a revision over the issues pertaining to paying the land tax, were distributed.
According to Mr. Vijayan, the government has distributed about three lakh title deeds over the past seven years. Promising steps to mitigate the human-wildlife conflicts, he spoke of the plans to establish a system to prevent wild animals from entering human settlements and agricultural land.
“Warning systems will be made efficient with the help of advanced technologies and the problem of wildlife conflicts will be resolved by strengthening the People’s Vigilance Committees, Forest Protection Committees, and Environmental Development Committees,” he said.
Holding that people having vested interest were attempting to trigger panic over the wildlife attacks and turn people against the government, the Chief Minister said the government would keep its promise to find a solution to wildlife attacks.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan presided over the event. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the boundaries of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Idukki districts had been well demarcated under the leadership of Forest department officials and 1,887 sketches were completed. The Revenue department will hand over the revised title deeds to the applicants after a joint inspection by the Forest department as well.
Meanwhile, the government has urged the remaining applicants to surrender their old title deeds during an adalat at Angelvalley on June 6 and 7. They will be handed over the revised title deeds before August 30.