Revenue Minister K. Rajan has said allegations that the government delayed action in the encroachment issue at Chokramudi in Idukki are baseless.
The Minister said only justifiable time for actions, including examination of documents, survey of land, hearing the parties involved, and providing time for submission of documents, was taken for the process.
Mr. Rajan was interacting with mediapersons after inaugurating a dialysis centre near the Shaktan Thampuran bus stand on Saturday.
An investigation was carried out by the District Collector and a special team appointed to review the encroachments. It was found that no title deeds were issued in the region recently. The encroachments and constructions had been initiated on the basis of title deeds issued in the 1965-70 period. Consequently, a stop memo halting constructions was issued by the Tahsildar on August 23, 2024 the Minister said.
He said actions should be taken with utmost caution in large and difficult-to-survey areas such as Idukki. Rushed decisions without reviewing old documents or adhering to proper procedures could lead to encroachers obtaining favourable court orders. To avoid this, modern surveying equipment like RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) rovers were used for accurate measurement and demarcation of the land.
The Tahsildar, village officer, and surveyor found guilty in the initial inquiry had been suspended. A joint inspection was conducted by the Idukki District Soil Conservation Officer, Hazard Analyst, Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department, and the Munnar Forest Range Officer to ensure compliance with precautionary measures under the Disaster Management Act, the Minister said.
Published - March 15, 2025 08:32 pm IST
