Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan has said that land encroachers are misleading farmers living in the proposed Kurinji sanctuary.
Talking to mediapersons at Munnar on Tuesday, he said there was an agenda in encroaching the land and this would not be allowed. He said that people and officials should take each other into confidence. There should be a detailed survey to decide the boundary of the proposed sanctuary. The issues related to the sanctuary would be settled within six months.
The Minister hinted that the area under the sanctuary would be maintained at 3,200 hectares. However, to preserve the area within that limit, avoiding cultivated and human inhabited areas, additional grasslands needed to be added to the proposed sanctuary limits.
The Minister said people were apprehensive that they would be evicted when the sanctuary was formed. For the past 11 years, the boundary of the Kurinji sanctuary could not be demarcated and the settlement officer could not complete the work due to lack of support from people. The people should give the details and documents to the officials deputed for the survey. Arrangements would be made to check the land ownership documents so as to avoid the difficulties faced by the people in reaching the Subcollector’s office. He said the government would consider the suggestions and memorandums and a decision in this regard would be taken after discussions with the Chief Minister.