Campaign for Kallai river protection

The Kallai Puzha Samrakshana Samithi is launching a campaign for the protection of the river even as landholders are resisting government efforts to secure encroached puramboke land in the area. Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran will take part in the protest declaration to be held on the banks of the Kallai river at 3.30 p.m. on May 8.

Encroachment

The Samithi has pointed out that the encroachment of government land and part of the river at Kallai was identified in a recent survey carried out by the Revenue Department. However, the Department’s attempts to secure the land and clear the encroachments were met with stiff resistance by the landholders there. The border stones put up by the surveyors were often found missing. A recent attempt by the Department to put up permanent border stones were opposed by the landholders with the help of an injunction order issued by the Kerala High Court.

“Those who have encroached the government land have constructed big buildings there and have leased them out for various purposes. They are cheating the Revenue Department of income worth lakhs of rupees,” said Samithi general secretary Faisal Pallikkandy.

Through the campaign, the Samithi wants to make the public aware of the intentions of those who have encroached the government land and are now opposing the government move to clear the encroachments.