Concerned over the confrontations between the Forest Department and the local public along the forest fringes, Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani has urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to place such disputed properties under the joint control of the Revenue, Local Self-Government and Forest departments.
In a letter to the CM, Mr. Mani said the encroachments by the Forest department of land under the Revenue and LSG departments has been causing troubles and highlighted the recent clash between locals and forest officials at Mankulam in Idukki as a case in point.
“The Forest department staff association has now gone to the extent of asking the Chief Secretary to call to push for protection of the forest under the Central government. The Forest wing has also also been destroying crops on the forest fringes without warning,” said Mr. Mani.
In view of this, steps will be taken to demarcate all disputed lands and farmlands outside the reserve forests, through a joint survey by the Revenue department, and limit the Forest department’s authority to initiate proceedings under the Kerala Forest Protection Act on such disputed properties, the MP said. Joint committees of Revenue, Local Self-Government and Forest departments should be constituted at the district level to resolve these disputes, the MP said.
The Forest authorities should only enter disputed lands and farmlands with the consent of these committees and in case of any legal issue, it should file a complaint with the police, added Mr. Mani.
