A detailed report submitted to the government by Devikulam Subcollector Renuraj on Monday confirmed that hundreds of acres of government land in Chinnakanal village and adjoining areas were encroached upon.
The report, with details of encroached areas, survey numbers, and location sketches, said immediate government intervention was needed to protect the ecologically important land.
The report, a copy of which is available with The Hindu , noted the name of the encroachers and the modus operandi of selling the land through fake documents created with the connivance of a few Revenue Department officials.
Harmful for ecology
The report also said that illegal multi-storey buildings were coming up on the ecologically sensitive area surrounded by the Western Ghats, which could impact the climate conditions.
It recommended handing over the encroached land at Ezhupathekkar to the Forest Department to arrest its degeneration. It should be handed over for afforestation to protect the flora and fauna. The pieces of land that were illegally issued title deeds, from survey number 113/93 to 117/93, under the Special Land Assignment Rules in 1993 should be distributed to deserving landless people.
The report recommended that a 10-member police team, including officers, be deployed in the region for evicting encroachers.
‘Make GPS maps must’
It was noted that women and children were being used to shield the encroached areas. Even after the eviction process was completed, the land was re-encroached.
GPS maps should be made mandatory for setting the boundary stones for the land for which the new title deeds are issued.
Deed verification
The report also recommended verification of all the title deeds issued under the Land Assignment Rules, 1964 and the Special Land Assignment Rules, 1993 in Devikulam taluk.
The 7.5-acre land under the Mont Fort School, Rajakumary, should be taken over. Cases should be filed against the school authorities for creating fake ownership documents, it said.
The addresses of the persons, firms having unaccounted excess land were Vellookunnel family, Shanmughavilasam, Lake View Estate, Hill View Estate, Maryland estate, New Field estate, Rockland estate, Green Field and Green Land estates, the report said.
