A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Friday decided to convene an all-party meeting and seek its clearance for eviction of encroached land in Idukki. It also decided that the police and revenue officials function jointly and establish a district-level coordination committee to oversee the eviction process.
The decisions seem to have virtually applied the brakes on the Revenue Department’s present drive to evict encroachments in Munnar.
The officials were told to consider encroachments and settlers differently and give priority to evict major encroachments.
Officials should take the local leaders of all parties into confidence before embarking on such moves. They should also enlist the support of religious leaders, environmentalists, and mediapersons.
The meeting felt that encroachments should not be allowed at any cost. But notice should be served on them and they should be given a chance to explain their stance. If the explanation is not satisfactory, the officials can proceed with their moves.
Special consideration should be given to those possessing up to 10 cents and have no landholdings elsewhere. Even if they are encroachments, the officials have been directed to examine them in detail before going ahead with the eviction proceedings.
Small encroachments
Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, who attended the meeting, said encroachments below 10 cents need not be evicted.
Mr. Vijayan reiterated the government stance that settlers and encroachments should be seen separately. Unconditional title deeds would be issued for land holdings up to 4 acres to all those settled in the district before 1977.
As many as one-lakh families, including those of tribes, have not got title deeds so far.
Title deeds should be issued in such cases soon.
The mix-up in survey due to official oversight should be rectified. Officials should not inconvenience people citing minute technical reasons, he said.
Mr. Vijayan said the decision to remove the cross without informing the government was a wrong move. Officials were bound to function for the government. If they failed to discharge that responsibility, they may not be able to remain as part of the government, he said.
The decision to clamp prohibitory orders at night and go ahead with the demolition of the cross keeping the police in the dark also was not a right move. The government was for evicting encroachments, but it should be done judiciously.
Elected representatives should be taken into confidence.
Improve relations
The District Collector and the District Police Chief should share warm relations. The officials should summon meetings for improving the relations. He directed the officials to expedite the procedures for issuing title-deeds to at least 10,000 families at a function planned on May 21.
Mr. Chandrasekharan directed the officials to implement the directions of the Chief Minister.
He also said that the target was not minor encroachments below 10 cents, but the major ones. The list of the homeless in five taluks in the district would be prepared immediately and houses would be given under the Life Mission, Mr. Chandrasekharan said.