The Madras High Court on Tuesday granted time till August 25 for the State government to take a call on relocating all those who had been occupying over 500 acres of forest land at Thengumarahada village in Kothagiri taluk of the Nilgiris district since 1952 and causing hindrance to free movement of wild animals.
Justices V. Bharathidasan and N. Sathish Kumar granted time after Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran told the court that the government would be taking a decision on the issue by this weekend. The AAG said that meetings had already been conducted with stakeholders and it was now for the government to take a call.
The judges pointed out that Thengumarhada was formed in 1952 by leasing out reserved forest lands to 142 individuals who were given three acres each for food crop cultivation. A cooperative farming society was formed and it was made clear that the government would resume the lands in case of violation of lease conditions.
