Panel to begin identifying encroachments in Munnar soon, State tells High Court

The State government assured a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday that the monitoring committee appointed to supervise the exercise of identifying encroachment in Munnar and other parts of Idukki district will be active and instructions have been given to the District Collector to make available necessary facilities, including vehicles for carrying out verification.

The submission was made by the Principal Secretary, Revenue, when a petition filed by One Earth One Life against encroachments and illegal constructions came up for hearing before the Bench comprising Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice M.A. Abdul Hakhim.

The Bench on Tuesday had expressed its displeasure over the inaction of the monitoring committee headed by the Principal Secretary, Revenue.

The Principal Secretary, who appeared online before the Bench, apologised for not holding meetings of the committee as often as it should have been. She sub

Court expresses its displeasure over the inaction of the monitoring committee

mitted that a special revenue officer who was supposed to be incharge of revenue records knew how to go about with the exercise.

Verification process

The tabletop exercise of verifying the title deeds to find out whether they were genuine or fake could be done based on the recommendations of the excerpt committee appointed earlier.

The special revenue officer had collected settlement registers and other details.

The settlement register would help identify the titles. As for undertaking digital survey of land, the Principal Secretary submitted that digital survey had been completed in three villages, namely Chinnakanal, Santhanpara, and Baison Valley. The survey would be undertaken in the the rest of the villages in the district in the second phase.