THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A court verdict against encroachments in Munnar has revived debate over preservation of one of Kerala's ecologically fragile tourism hotspots and measures against unbridled constructions.
Deep divisions within the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) over the issue was also in the open Sunday when its local leaders questioned Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan's claims of evicting encroachers and building a "new Munnar".
The Kerala High Court last week stalled all illegal constructions in the famed hill station and came down heavily on the authorities who failed to stop the "gang rape of mother nature".
Achuthanandan said the government will "handle" and deal sternly with those who encroached upon government land apart from initiating stringent action against officials who clandestinely supported the encroachers.
"It's a serious business as far as the government is concerned. All encroachers and those in the government who were helping them would be booked," Achuthanandan said.
He said the special team led by K Suresh Kumar sent to evict the encroachers had to be called back due to "health issues" faced by some of the team members. It was when the team's eviction came to a standstill that the encroachers became active again.
"They influenced some officials and with their clandestine help, managed to usurp more government land and begin construction there. The High Court has ordered their eviction and action against erring officials. We'll just do that," he said. "Not a single one of the encroachers will escape".
However, the CPI-M Idukki district secretary MM Mani and S Rajnendran, CPI-M legislator representing the area, said there were no fresh encroachments and the party had decided to oppose the eviction move with popular support.
"What new Munnar are you talking about? It's a fraud. There are no encroachments here and we we'll oppose the move to evict the farmers," said Mani. "The chief minister's statement that there would be no more demolitions is an admission of the past mistake".
Rajendran said there was a conspiracy behind the media campaign about encroachments, which was the basis for the court's observations, and the intention was to bring back the former task force headed by Suresh Kumar.
In May, 2007, Achuthanandan sent Suresh Kumar to Munnar as chief of a special task force and began demolishing a number of structures built on encroached land including office of the ruling partner Communist Party of India (CPI) which was partially converted into a hotel.
The team, comprising Rishi Raj Singh, then Inspector General of Police, and Raju Narayana Swamy, the district collector, demolished at least 11 huge illegal resorts and initiated procedures for takeover of several hectares of grabbed land, raising Achuthanandan's popularity all-time high.
Suresh Kumar, who was under suspension for speaking against the government, is back in service now, armed with a favorable court verdict. Swamy has gone on leave for higher studies while Singh joined the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
After the last week's court verdict, the state government deputed another team led by Vigilance Officer of the Survey Department Biju Prabhakar for a "comprehensive enquiry into the continuing encroachments".
Prabhakar will be the fourth officer probing the encroachments over the past six years, after Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Rajan K. Madhekar, Kerala Land Use Board Secretary PC Sanal Kumar, and Principal Secretary (Revenue) Nivedita P Haran and the government failed to evict most of the encroachers and control fresh encroachments.
"There is a move to bring back Sureash Kumar. He's already here, frequently visiting the places that he marked for demolition. We would not anybody to destroy our livelihood," Mani said.
Environmentalists are concerned about alienation of large tracts of government land and the destruction of flora and fauna while tourism industry worries about driving away holidaymakers by the demolition drive and lack of enough hotel rooms in the area.
