The Hindu : Evictees return to `encroached land'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Evictees return to `encroached land'

By P. Venugopal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JULY 6. The Mathikettan eviction is turning into a farce as the evictees slowly returning to the shola forests.

According to officials who participated in the eviction process in May 2002, an extent of at least 100 acres of forest land from where six persons belonging to a family were thrown out has now been returned to the same family.

These persons regained the land on the strength of an order issued on October 8, 2002 by the then Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Devikulam, who has since been conferred IAS by the Government and given a posting in Thiruvananthapuram.

The RDO's order to these people goes like this: "On verification of the documents and report of the SSLR, Devikulam, it is seen that the land in Reg. No. 228, 229, 230 of Block 13 of Pooppara village, Udumbanchola Taluk, does not come under Mathikettan land to be transferred to the Forest Department. You are therefore free to enter and cultivate cardamom subject to the usual conditions of Cardamom Patta Rules of 1935 in the land comprised in the above Sy. Nos.''

Officials who participated in the eviction in May last told The Hindu that these persons were now occupying the very same area that was identified as `encroached land' by the committee headed by the then Additional Chief Secretary, N. Chandrasekharan Nair, which inquired into the Mathikettan encroachment row.

This committee, which also had the Forest Secretary and the Revenue Secretary as members, had held several sittings at Pooppara to allow those who had valid documents on the land in their possession to establish their claims.

The committee had also conducted detailed investigations with the assistance of Government surveyors before earmarking the encroached areas and ordering the eviction process.

The eviction of the family under reference was done on May 11, 2002. According to the `mahsar' prepared by the officials who participated in the eviction, this land comes under `Survey No. 33 (old Survey No. 154 and 155) of Block 14 of Thondimala Thavalam, Pooppara village'. The `mahsar' gives a detailed description of the buildings demolished by the eviction party in the "encroached land''.

In the G.O. dated September 20, 2002 issued by the Revenue Secretary giving the details of the areas from where occupants were ordered to be evicted, the names of the family members under reference are listed.

Also, in 2001, even before the Mathikettan controversy had hit the headlines, a case for unauthorised occupation of Government land was charged against these persons by the concerned Tahsildar.

Officials who had participated in the eviction process say that the buildings demolished in May, 2002 under the orders of the Additional Chief Secretary are now being rebuilt in the same place by the persons who were evicted then.

The action taken by the committee has thus been reversed by the orders of the RDO.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Troops for Iraq: `issue not yet referred to Law Ministry'

Evictees return to `encroached land'

Samata Party State unit chief

Film fete at Perinthalmanna from July 12

SBT net profits up by 41 p.c.

`DGFT order not in tune with Govt. policy'

Rallies no solution to Marad issue: SNDP Yogam

Hassan lying to save Karunakaran: VS

Govt. mulls over setting up marine police force

Steps mooted to overhaul roads