Eviction of encroachments in Munnar resumed in the early morning on Thursday with Revenue Department officials, supported by the police, forest and Land Protection Force (LPF) personnel, removing a large concrete cross and sheds constructed by a Thrissur-based Church denomination at Pappathichola, where over 50 acres of land under survey number 34/1 was allegedly grabbed under the guise of spiritual tourism.
The revenue team under the Udumbanchola additional tahsildar, supported by the law-enforcing authorities, started the journey to Pappathichola from the Devikulam Subcollector’s office by 4.30 a.m.
The team reached the foothill around 6 a.m. A crowd of local people assembled there tried to block the team and said that they would not allow the cross to be removed.
The police team informed them that a ban order was in place in the Chinnakanal area and the crowd disbursed themselves.
The vehicles of the team went ahead after clearing the road using an earth mover . Though there was an attempt to block the road using a van, it too was removed. By 7 a.m. the cross was removed and the sheds burnt by the LPF personnel.
The team returned to the base camp by 1.30 p.m. and handed over the iron rods used for concreting the cross as proof of encroachments. The team was accompanied by ambulances, a Fire and Rescue Services team and a police team.
