Kerala Cabinet Defers Decision on Action against Encroachers

Kerala Cabinet has put on hold a decision regarding action against those who have encroached government land in and around Munnar and those officials who aided them, reported The Hindu.

Considering the issue on the ground of a High Court ruling instructing action, the Cabinet decided that the matter should be discussed by the Cabinet subcommittee dealing with the subject first and actions should be recommended urgently, said report.

The report said that the LDF State Committee would also meet in between to arrive at a consensus.

In response to a media query about the Cabinet decision, chief minister VS Achuthanandan brushed aside opposition to eviction of encroachers from the local units of the CPI (M), said report.

“It is not a single party but a coalition of five or six parties which is ruling the State. The policies of the ruling Government will be implemented in Munnar,” he was quoted as saying.

He said that the subcommittee would decide on all the issues related to encroachments including the shifting of Idukki collector, report said.

The Cabinet did not take up individual issues such as the proposal for transfer of nearly 18000 acres of land taken over by the government under the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption) Act to the Forest Department.

The Chief Minister had in the past opposed the transfer on the ground that it would hinder government plans for distribution of title deeds to the poor and use of the land for other official purposes.