Kerala: opposition walk out over eviction

Congress led UDF opposition members in Kerala Assembly Wednesday staged a walk out protesting the alleged sabotage of on-going drive against encroachment of public lands in Munnar by making inactive the Special Task Force (STF) led by Special Officer K. Sureshkumar.

Seeking leave for an adjournment motion on the issue, V.D. Sateeshan (Cong) lashed out at the LDF Government for going backward on the eviction drive at Munnar and claimed the government's contention that half of the "pattayams" issued by Deputy Tasildhar Raveendran was genuine had virtually sabotaged the eviction drive.

The government hastily withdrew its directive to officials not to touch the party offices built on encroached lands only because a case has been filed in High court in connection with the matter, he said and alleged that the directive was issued with an objective to save local CPI and CPM offices from eviction.

Sateeshan contended that as per the Kannan Devan Hills Act only collectors had the right to issue pattayam and all pattayams issued by Raveendran were illegal.

Rejecting the Opposition charge, Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said the government was committed to reteriving all the encroached lands. Two additional task forces had been set up to assist the Speical Task Force in Munnar, he said.

So far, 10,193 acres of land had been retrieved and 91 illegal structures demolished, he said. Rajendran, a CPI nominee in the cabinet, said CPI did not need any concession and if their office in Munnar was situated in an unauthorised place, it would be vacated