KOCHI: The state government will ensure the sustainable development of the scheduled tribe community without interrupting their social life, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday. He was inaugurating a function held near Kuttampuzha to present title deeds and forest rights documents for 70 hectares land to 96 families residing at Panthapra and Pinavoorkudi tribal settlements of Kothamangalam taluk, Ernakulam district. The government will give priority to provide title deeds for the landless, he said.
“The practice of cheating the poor in the name of presenting titles will not happen anymore,” he said. A joint meeting of the departments concerned will be held soon to discuss the development projects of scheduled tribe community. “The government wants the comprehensive development of the tribal colonies. The tribal people will be given support to collect forest produce and market them,” he said.
According to Mr Pinarayi, 1,641 title deeds were given in the districts in four separate functions held after the LDF government came to power. He handed over the forest rights documents to Thankappan, Kamakshi, Kuttappan, Gopalan, Perumthamma and Kochukulanth of Pandapra colony. The cases pending for long in the tribunals connected with the title deeds would be speeded up, said Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, who presided over the function. According to him, 31 tribunals and 21 special tribunals have commenced work for taking a speedy decision on the applications for title deeds.
The compensation for the dependants of people killed in the attacks by wild animals has been raised to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 5 lakh, said forest minister K. Raju. He also said that trees can be cut for the construction of houses in areas coming under the forest rights Act. But cutting trees for commercial purpose will not be allowed. Minister A.K. Balan, representatives of the people, revenue and district officials attended the function.
