Officials embroiled in park land encroachment case

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Forestry authorities have filed complaints against three state officials allegedly involved in illegally issuing land ownership documents in Thap Lan National Park in the northeastern province.

Authorities from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department on Monday filed complaints with Wang Nam Khieo police against a director and two other land surveyors attached to the Nakhon Ratchasima Land Reform Office.

The three were accused of illegally issuing title deeds for 52 plots of forest land in the park.

The legal action followed a forest protection operation of the department’s Phaya Sua task force, aiming to reclaim 8,000 rai of allegedly encroached land in Thap Lan National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachin Buri provinces.

Many state officials are believed to be involved in issuing land title deeds for the forest land.

Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn, head of the task force, said authorities were examining ownership documents of the 52 land plots as part of preparatory measures to file further complaints against business operators and other state officials involved in the land encroachment.

According to an examination of land ownership documents in Wang Nam Khieo district, more than 10 people including local influential figures, politicians, state officials and business operators were connected to the forest land encroachment which the probe has uncovered.

Mr Chaiwat also urged those who were uncertain whether their land was located in forest areas to check with the DNP.

Recently, two people returned 38 rai of land in the national park, worth about 27 million baht in total, to authorities, Mr Chaiwat said.

Also yesterday, Mr Chaiwat led officials to inspect Im Poo Hill Resort, illegally built in the national park, saying the resort operator failed to demolish its structures as ordered by authorities earlier.