Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has said that a high-altitude research station using advanced technology will be set up in the Parvathy Hills here to monitor land encroachments. The station will be connected to the Revenue Department office to help take timely action against the encroachers.
Addressing presspersons at the Revenue Divisional Office at Devikulam after marking “Jandas” on Gap Road and at 205 Acre on Tuesday, the Minister said that steps would be taken to provide alternative land to the nine families living there. The district administration would reach an agreement with them.
He said the marking of “Jandas” was not the final step in protecting the land resumed from encroachers and digital mapping would be conducted to block encroachments.
The Minister said the encroachers were so powerful that they did not hesitate to remove the heavy “Jandas” in remote areas, but digital mapping and continuous monitoring would ensure the protection of the resumed land. In the first phase, “Jandas” were being marked in places with road connectivity, but in the second phase, even remote areas would get them.
“Nearly 800 concrete ‘Jandas' have been made and 200 more will be built to mark the entire 2,009 acres of land resumed till today,” he said.
The Minister said that deployment of revenue inspectors in the area was found insufficient to protect the land from encroachers and it had been decided to create a land protection force. The training of the force was in the final stage and their passing-out parade would be held soon. The force would be provided additional powers to deal with any kind of encroachments.
“Work on resuming land from encroachers has not been completed and 15 days' notice for voluntarily vacating illegal buildings will be issued soon and steps will be taken to attach nearly 50 such buildings already marked for issuing the notice,” he said.
He said the government policy was to provide the encroachers a genuine opportunity to leave the buildings. Steps, including filing of criminal cases, would be taken against the encroachers after the expiry of the notice.
While the encroachers were being given an opportunity, the government was committed to taking stern action against them. No buildings on the encroached land would be demolished, while it had to be ensured that such buildings were attached as government property. The land protection force was the first of its kind and it was being set up to plug loopholes in the process of full attachment of the encroached land.
The Minister earlier laid the foundation stone for the mini civil station at Devikulam and inaugurated the staff quarters of the Revenue Department there.
