The State Government seems to be in a hurry for implementing the guidelines allowing usage of
five per cent of plantation land for other purposes, especially for providing Kannan
Devan Hills Plantations Co, Pvt Ltd (KDHP) five per cent of its land, with the
Government calling a meeting of officials of the Revenue, Agricultural, Finance
and representatives of KDHP to look into the issue. The meeting is learned to
have been convened by the Chief Minister despite a final judgement is awaited
in the cases related to KDHP lands in the High Court.
Though
the meeting was convened in a hurried manner on Monday, it did not take place
as the Chief Minister and some top officials were otherwise engaged, highly
placed sources said. Secretaries from the agriculture and finance departments,
officials from the Land Board and revenue department, CM’s office were all
present for the meeting.
They said
that even though the meeting was not held, the calling of such a meeting gains
significance in the wake of the government filing affidavits against the lands
in possession of KDHP. Moreover, the High Court had already interfered in the
issues related to KDHP. It has also to be seen that the Devikulam and Munnar
panchayat’s decision to grant licence to the company for operating its
bungalows for tourist purposes was stayed by the then Idukki District
Collector.
Stating
that a meeting of the officials could be understood, the highly placed sources
doubted the intention behind calling representatives of the KDHP in the
meeting. The CM is known to have convened the meeting with respect to a letter
sent to him by the KDHP, which requested for a single window clearance for
implementation of projects under the use of five per cent of plantation land
for non-plantation purposes. They also alleged that it was a move to hand over
plantation lands to private owners in the name of tourism.
source: The Newindianexpress
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