HC asks State to file details

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the state government to submit the details of persons who had encroached forest land after June 1, 1977, and the details of the steps taken against them.A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A M Shaffique passed the order while considering a petition filed by the Thiruvankulam Nature Lovers’ Movement seeking a CBI probe into the encroachment of forest land.“The state government said that efforts were on to identify the encroachers and steps were taken to evict some persons from the forest area. However, there are no details about those who were evicted and against whom steps are still pending,” the court observed and asked the government to explain about the areas encroached upon. It also asked the government to explain how much encroached land could be reclaimed.The court directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit within four weeks explaining the exact action taken by it to evict the encroachers. The government had  submitted that the Forest Department officials had been taking all possible steps to evict the encroachers and conserve the forest areas. In the majority of cases, eviction could not be conducted owing to strong protest from  encroachers and local people backed by social and political groups.“In some cases, the encroachers obtained stay order from courts. There had only been marginal encroachments after June 1, 1977. The decision of the state government to regularise encroachments made before June 1,1977, was followed by a joint verification conducted by the Forest and Revenue officials. Earnest attempts were made to evict the post-June 1977 encroachers, the affidavit said.However, the process of eviction is yet to be completed in certain forest areas where there were organised resistance.  The affidavit said the intensity and the extent of encroachment on forest land were proportionate to the pressure of demographic growth. The eviction of those who encroached the forest land after June 1, 1977, could be ordered only in accordance with the law.The affidavit had also pointed out that there was large-scale encroachment in Idukki district with the support of social and political groups. It is to check this tendency that the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary was notified.