Efforts to address settler farmers’ grievances by regularising forestland in Kozhikode district are gaining momentum with the Revenue and Forest and Wildlife departments completing the joint survey of forests encroached in Peruvannamuzhi and carrying out a survey in Kuttiyadi and Thamarassery ranges soon.
A meeting of the farmers, Revenue and Forest officials at the Collectorate on Tuesday decided to find a permanent solution to the long time disputes between settler farmers and the government. Farmers have been seeking to get about 35 acres of forest land in Peruvannamuzhi, which they have been cultivating for long, regularised. “A joint investigation by the Revenue and Forest Departments have been completed. Now the process of record verification has started. This will be completed this month,” said District Collector U.V. Jose.
He said plans were afoot to carry out a joint investigation by the Revenue and Forest Departments to identify the encroached forest land in other parts of the district. The Forest Department had been asked to give a report within three months, said Mr. Jose.
Divisional Forest Officer K.K. Sunil Kumar said farmers who had occupied forest land before January 1, 1977, would be able to own the land and remit taxes. All the other land demarcated as forestland would be recovered. “As of now, farmers have not been barred from remitting land taxes,” he said.
Peruvannamuzhi Range Officer B.R. Rubin, who took part in the meeting, said the case of 15 persons had been solved after the title verification process. “The disputes of 35 persons will have to be sorted out this month. Almost 75% of the occupied land is under cultivation. At the same time, a joint survey has not been done at Kuttiyadi and Thamarassery ranges till now,” he said.
It is estimated that there are nearly 150 encroachments at Koorachundu and Kanthaladu villages. “Only a joint survey can bring out the facts,” said Mr. Rubin.
