Encroachment of revenue land has been reported again at Chinnakanal. One of the families listed in the Revenue Department’s report as the main encroacher in Devikulam taluk, has again grabbed revenue land and constructed a road through the grassland there.
The new encroachment was revealed after a revenue team led by Udumbanchola additional tahsildar visited the spot. The incident revealed the nexus between the land mafia and the officials there. Even after complaints received by the officials, it was alleged that no action had been taken against the encroacher who also illegally quarried a hill nearby.
The revenue team found a concrete wall around the encroached land in addition to the road constructed through the land at Ezhupathekkar. The team also found nearly 15 loads of quarried stones there.
Preliminary reports said the land was encroached upon by Jimmy Sakkaria of Vellookunnel family. An official of the revenue team said that a case was registered under the land protection Act. For charging criminal cases, the revenue team would hand over a report to the Santhanpara police, the official said.
There were around 10 cases against the Vellookunnel family for land encroachments. An evangelist in the family had encroached the revenue land at Pappathichola, erecting a cross there, It was removed by the revenue team creating a controversy with the government coming in the open against the move.
There were allegations that the revenue officials did not take timely action as they feared local political support to the encroachment.
