Munnar Operations Restarted

The State Cabinet has finalised a clutch of measures to tackle encroachments in Munnar including demolition of two check-dams constructed ‘illegally’ by the Tata group. A special judicial first class magistrate court will be set up at Munnar to try cases relating to encroachments. Illegal encroachments will be evicted and resorts constructed illegally in and around Munnar town will be taken over. The decisions were taken after the Cabinet discussed a report submitted by a sub-committee of Ministers which had visited Munnar.

One significant decision announced was that the government would take follow-up actions on the Land Board award of 1974, a measure that could prove key to the declaration of a large tract of land in Munnar as reserve forest.

The government, would take urgent measures to evict encroachments in Munnar, take over illegal constructions and initiate speedy measures to issue title deeds to settlers who were in possession of land in the area before January 1, 1977. Simultaneously, the Law Department would be asked to examine violation of lease deeds in the area and invalidate the irregular deeds. The Cabinet had decided to make the Munnar township ‘legally tenable.’ The proposed judicial first class magistrate court would be set up in consultation with the Kerala High Court.

A panel comprising the Revenue, Home and Water Resources Ministers had been constituted to ensure time-bound implementation of the decisions and to keep the Cabinet posted about all related developments.