After decade-long fight, Ooty tribals to get basic amenities

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Ttribals and traditional forest dwellers in Ooty, staying on lands falling under Section 17 of the Gudalur Janmam Land Act, will soon be provided with basic amenities such as roads, electricity and water supply, thanks to a recent Supreme Court order. As per the Act, no development activities should be carried out on janmam lands described under the section and the lands preserved as they are. It took the Nilgiris administration a decade to fetch the order.

The original owners had leased out 41,768 acres of land, of 80,000 acres, for raising plantations on a longterm basis. The bulk of land covered by the plantation leases is situated in the O'Valley area in Gudalur region. Until the Gudalur Janmam Abolition Act came into force in 1969, the plantation lessees had converted about 11,000 acres of rich rainforests into plantations. Subsequently the rest of the virgin forest was also converted into plantations.

Most of the lands in Gudalur and Pandalur taluks in the Nilgiris fall under Section 17 of the Janmam Land Act, wherein the title of the land could not be transferred. Granting permission for providing basic amenities, the court cautioned that development facilities are 'not made available to the illegal occupants of janmam lands and the relaxation given is not misused'.

Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya said, "At an estimation of 943.83 lakh, about 69 tribal hamlets falling under Section 17 will benefitwith basic amenities such as laying of new roads, providing streetlights, electricity connection to individual houses, renovation of dwelling houses, drinking water connections and toilet facilities," she said.

This is the result of the district administration's initiative by filing an application with the Supreme Court in 2008 and following it up. The apex court's direction is path-breaking for tribals, she said.