Former president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee V.M. Sudheeran on Sunday alleged that the government was scuttling all the decisions taken at an all-party meeting on Munnar evictions, particularly of big-time encroachments.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Sudheeran said the State government had moved against the spirit of the all-party meeting that action would be taken against big-ticket encroachers.
But its approach towards the AVT company was one that questioned its credibility and amounted to a clear case of helping the company. He had pointed out to the malpractices ahead of the all-party meeting. Even after this, the government did not appeal against a High Court Single Bench verdict permitting the company to cut trees in the land in its possession.
The government also failed to present its case properly in the court. The government counsel was unable to answer the High Court question on why it had failed to take suitable action against the company.
He also pointed out to news report that the names of around 50 big encroachers did not figure in the list prepared by the Revenue Department. The Revenue Department had directed the police to file cases against these encroachers under the Land Conservation Act, but these elements had escaped action owing to the support they got from the officials.
