Kerala: Nothing wrong in dept order, says Revenue minister K Rajan

T’PURAM: Revenue minister K Rajan has thrown his weight behind the controversial order that was misinterpreted to fell a large number of protected trees in Muttil, Wayanad. Rajan said there is nothing wrong in the revenue department’s order but it was misinterpreted.
“If trees under government ownership were felled, it is an illegal act and not part of the order as it was misinterpreted. We said this from the beginning. If anyone undertook illegal activity by misinterpreting the order, a probe is underway and action will be taken,” he said.
Rajan said the probe will cover all aspects of the case. “Government has nothing to fear as its hands are clean. There was nothing faulty in the order but the problem is the interpretation. All actions will be transparent and no one will be protected,” he said.
He refuted claims that the revenue secretary gave a report that there was an error in the order. Rajan said there will not be an action that questions the essence of land reforms act. Government intends to provide land to all the landless. Till date, 54% of resurvey has been completed and cases relating to conversion of the nature of land, will be completed in a timely manner, he said. Rajan said government would reclaim all such land illegally held by individuals. He said that in 100 days, government plans to disburse 12,000 titles.
Earlier, CM Pinarayi Vijayan and former minister E Chandrasekharan had defended revenue department’s controversial order that was misinterpreted by lawbreakers to cut centuries-old rosewood and teak trees from the land assigned to farmers. The order was then cancelled in February this year.