??|?? August 22, 2012 ?? 08:56pm ??|
Thiruvananthapuram:?Conflicting interests involving the status of leased land have divided the UDF government in Kerala, with the forest department claiming the land and the government chief whip leading a battle against the forest minister by taking up estate owners? cause.
Chief whip P C George, who is of cabinet rank, represents the regional Christian party Kerala Congress, which has a considerable interest in the plantation sector under the garb of marginal farming. George has been opposing an effort by the forest department, headed?by minister K B Ganesh Kumar, to take over the Shernelly estate in Palakkad.
Shernelly spreads over 278 acres of the 9,491-acre Nelliyambathy estates. With successive changes in ownership and tweaking of lease agreements, the number of estates has grown from 24 to 52, of which 11 have been taken over by the government, citing either expiry or violation of the lease agreement. Another three ? including Shernelly, the others being Rajakkad and Monkwood ? had been taken over but owners challenged it. These estates have been slapped charges of non-compliance of forest laws.
In an affidavit last week, the government told the High Court the Nelliyambathy estates are reserve forests; estate owners could be considered ?encroachers?.
The estates, given on lease in the second half of the 19th century, were declared reserved forests by the erstwhile Cochin government in 1909. After the formation of Kerala state, all these rights were transferred to the state government, said the affidavit.
George said, ?Shernelly has been a rubber plantation from 1909.? He says the government decision would affect the fortunes of ?farmers?, meaning the estate owners. The forest department has found the estate was split among members of three families, all from George?s Kottayam district. Besides, some of them managed huge bank loans after pledging forest land. Ganesh Kumar has demanded a CBI probe into this.
A small-time actor and the leader of another Kerala Congress group, Kumar was openly threatened at a public meeting by George, who enjoys the support of the minister?s estranged father R Balakrishna Pillai.
After George revolted against the forest department, the government formed a sub-committee to make recommendations. This move has divided the UDF, with Kumar and George both finding support bases.
Blog battle
Six UDF legislators have plunged into green politics. Congress legislators V D Satheesan, T N Prathapan, V T Balram and Hybi Eden, the Socialist Janata Democratic?s Sreyamskumar and the Muslim League?s K M Shaji have launched a blog, greenthoughtskerala.blogspot.in.
The campaign, virtually a rebellion against the UDF government, comes a month ahead of a major investors? conclave planned by the government. Says Satheesan, ?Nelliyambathy is the latest in a series of fights against the realty mafia. The blog is meant to generate discussions on state resources.??
He added, ?The status of Nelliyambathy as a reserve forest was legally settled. The government should not have allowed politicians to form a sub-committee based on petitions of estate owners.?
Congress spokes-man M M Hassan, who has quit as chairman of the sub-committee, has criticised Satheeshan and his team, saying, ?They are trying to gain political mileage under the banner of green politics.?
Many bloggers have asked the crusaders why they have taken up only Nelliyambathy when powerful groups occupy government land elsewhere. Prathapan said these and violation of lease agreements by Harrison Mayalayalam Plantations would be taken up.
The revolt comes against the backdrop of two key decisions: to legalise paddy fillings up to 2005 and to allow the plantation sector to divert 5 per cent of their land for tourism. Recently, the Congress leadership asked the government to review both decisions.
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Source ? Financial Express
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