A recent Revenue department order that converted 4,318 hectares of revenue land to forestland in the 50th block of Keezhanthoor village under Kanthalloor panchayat in Idukki has sparked a controversy. Local people allege that Revenue department officials are trying to evict people from Kanthalloor through this conversion. The order was issued on the basis of a letter by the wildlife warden, Munnar.
Idukki survey deputy director R. Babu issued the order on July 20, 2023. According to the order (a copy of which is with The Hindu), the titles were issued under block number 50 of Keezhanthoor village for 18.5777 hectares of land in 17 Thandaper numbers. “Excluding 18.5777 hectares of land under block number 50, a total of 4,318.1223 hectares’ land status is being changed into reserve forest in re-survey records,” said the order.
Munnar wildlife warden S.V. Vinod told The Hindu that 90.422 square kilometres of land from Keezhattoor and Marayur villages under the Devikulam taluk was declared as the Chinnar reserve forest in 1942. “In 1984, it was declared as Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. In 1999, Devikulam Land Records (LR) survey superintendent declared 3,844 hectares of forestland as revenue land without consultation with the Forest department. The Forest department then submitted a letter to the District Collector demanding a change in the land status,” said the official.
Forest dept. request
“The Forest department only requested change in land status of the department-owned 3,844 hectares of land. However, apart from 3,844 hectares of forestland, block number 50 includes 795 hectares of revenue land too. The Revenue department declared the entire block number 50 as a reserve forest by mistake,” said Mr. Vinod.
Kanthalloor panchayat president K.A. Mohandas said that the Revenue department converted the entire revenue land in block number 50 to reserve forest without informing the local body concerned or the local residents. “We suspect the move to convert the entire area as forestland is part of an attempt bid to evict people. An all-party meeting on Friday decided to conduct a hartal in Kanthalloor panchayat on September 7 in protest against the order,” said Mr. Mohandas.
New order soon
Idukki deputy collector Manoj K. said the Revenue department issued an order by mistake. “A report submitted by the tahsildar said that over 750 hectares of land under the block was revenue land. The area will be withdrawn from the reserve forest status soon and a new order will be issued soon,” said Mr Manoj.
The Idukki Land Freedom Movement (ILFM) general convener Rasak Chooravelil said that the Revenue department in the district was assisting the Forest department in changing the revenue land to forestland. “It is a planned move by the Revenue department to implement their agenda in Idukki,” said Mr. Chooravelil.
