Illegal Quarryng in Mookunnimala: lapses come to the fore

At a time the district administration points out its inability to shut down all the quarries in Mookunnimala, serious lapse on the part of the district authorities and the Commissionerate of Land Revenue has come to the light the delay in implementing the government's order of closing down all the illegal quarries for the last three years.

The government had written about ten official letters from 2012 to the district administration and the Land Revenue Commissioner for cancelling the pattayam (title deed) to the lands given exclusively for  Rubber cultivation and to deposit them with the Land Bank if quarry activities were being conducted in those lands. Though a report has been sought for the last three years, the two offices have been keeping its silence.

The first communication was sent on July 13, 2012 from the Revenue Principal secretary to the district collector and the Commissionerate of Land Revenue regarding cancelling the pattayam and depositing the land in the Land bank if quarry activities were being conducted in the land given exclusively for rubber plantation. Reminders were sent on August 1, 2012 and November 30, 2012. Apart from this, the government had also sent semi official letters in January, May, September and October 2013. In 2014, the same communication was sent in January and February.

The government had sent the communications based on various reports that illegal quarry activities were being done in Mookunnimala in violation of all rules. It should also be noted that the Commissionerate of Land Revenue has not responded to the directions of the Government even when a report from the same office had recommended to the government appropriate action against all the illegal quarries. The report said that the land where illegal quarries was taking place could be taken by the government as it violated the rules. The land was given for ruber cultivation as per the Special Rules for Assignment of Government Lands for Rubber Cultivation Act. It had also mentioned that land was illegally transferred, which could not be done as per the special rules.