The Revenue department’s special task force removed two encroachments and reclaimed a total of 2.95 acres of land in Chinnakkanal and Pallivasal villages, near Munnar, on Saturday.
According to the Revenue department officials, a team led by Idukki Sub-Collector Arun S. Nair and Udumbanchola Land Records Tahsildar Seema Joseph retrieved 2.2 acres of land at Cement Palam, near Chinnakanal, on Saturday morning. The farmland, along with a house, was under the possession of Leela of Chinnapparakudi in Adimaly and her husband Jose Joseph. The team recovered another 75 cents of land in Pallivasal village from Rosamma Kartha.
The task force also installed noticeboards proclaiming that the reclaimed lands belonged to the Kerala government.
Drive to continue
A senior Revenue department official said that the task force removed the encroachments after completing all legal proceedings. The team will continue the eviction process in the coming days. “The task force evicted encroachments from a list prepared earlier. District Collector Sheeba George already submitted the list before the court,” said the official.
Meanwhile, Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA) Idukki district committee member P.N. Sunil alleged that the task force was trying to evict settled farmers on the pretext of eviction drive. “A 6.6-acre encroached government land owned by Jimmy Scaria is situated at Cement Palam, near Chinnakanal, close to the farmland reclaimed from Leela. But the task force has not yet taken any steps to evict the big encroachers,” said Mr. Sunil.
According to Mr. Joseph, they settled in the area in 1962. “The land and hut are in ward number 9 under Chinnakkanal panchayat and taxes for the house were paid till 2022. The condition of the farmland also showed early settlement in the area,” he said.
However, Revenue department officials said that the family owned another land and home in Adimali, and the land in Chinnakanal is the catchment area of the Anayirankal dam.
The task force had evicted encroachments in 229.76 acres in Devikulam and Udumbanchola taluks last Thursday.
