THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revenue minister E Chandrashekharan on Tuesday said the drive against encroachers in Munnar will continue with full vigour. Mr. Chandrasekharan was reacting to the High Court judgment directing the government to remove the encroachment on 22 cents of land by a private resort owner. Chandrashekharan said immediate steps would be taken to implement the court order against encroachment. The HC directive came as shot in the arm for the revenue minister who had all along stated that the land in question belonged to the revenue department. Despite intense pressure from local CPM, Congress and even a section of CPI leaders, the revenue minister had backed Devikulam Sub Collector Sreeram Venkitaraman who issued eviction notice to the resort owner.
With the High Court directing the government to acquire the land, the decision taken by the revenue department has been vindicated. It has also given the required strength to the revenue department and the sub collector to go after similar encroachment in Iduki district. The revenue department sources said if any political party tried to prevent eviction of encroachers, it will face contempt proceedings. The court verdict came up for discussion at the CPI executive meeting which began on Tuesday.
The CPI and CPM were at loggerheads on the controversial land. Though the revenue minister and the CPI representatives had kept off the recent meeting convened by chief minister on Munnar issue, the government avoided a major embarrassment deciding to leave the decision on 22 cents to the High Court. In a way the court verdict has also come as a big relief to the CPM state leadership which was finding it difficult to convince the district unit.
With the high court now coming out with a clear verdict against encroachment, the CPI leadership claimed that its stand on Munnar encroachments had been ratified. The party had sounded the government against succumbing to pressure of political parties. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran had asked the government to take decisions only based on the land assignment rules.
