WAYANAD: Relocating a community bonded to nature with its centuries-old beliefs and customs is no easy task. The voluntary tribal relocation project in the State has its own bag of woes with the Revenue Department’s alleged procrastination of fund allotment to beneficiaries being a case in point.
But the project has got a lease of life with the Ministry of Environment and Forests granting Rs 18 crore to 231 families, including 77 tribal households, of the Chettyalathur settlement in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
As much as Rs 11 crore has been credited to the account of Wayanad District Collector B S Thirumeni. The order to credit the remaining amount has already been issued, officers told Express.
Asked whether the Revenue Department was lax in disbursing the money to beneficiaries, Thirumeni said there was no deliberate delay from the department or the district administration in distributing the money.
It is true the district administration couldn’t convene the meeting of various stakeholders on time. However, it doesn’t affect the progress of the project and the project is moving ahead, he said.
“The district administration will soon hand over the first installment of the fund to the beneficiaries. The procedures to this effect are on and a district-level delegation visited Chettyalathur settlement recently to take stock of the situation,” said the Collector.
But green activists and the Forest Department officers said relocating a colony rooted to nature to a new environment was an uphill task. Whenever officers managed to convince tribals about the need to migrate for a better life, they would go back on their word after a few days under the instigation of those with vested interests like the resort and quarry mafias.
In such a circumstance, any laxity from the part of the authorities will undermine the project, said DCF and Wildlife Warden of the sanctuary P Dhaneshkumar. Tribals can be easily misguided by other people, said environmental activist N Badusha. For instance, Appu Chettiyar of the Chettyalathur tribal colony in the Muthanga Range has been using a section of Kattunaikkars--a primitive tribe--as a buffer for his farm within the sanctuary. “He owns more than 15 acres and the relocation is not a good deal for him as it provides Rs 10 lakh to a tribal to procure land near fringe areas,” he said.
“So he offers them perks to stay with him and tries to sabotage the project. All the departments should join hands for a common cause for the project to be a milestone in the history of the state,” he said.
"The Wildlife Conservation Society has been helping tribals settle down in the new place by empowering them,” said Badusha, a conservationist with the society. “The state government should also take the initiative to provide basic amenities in their new settlements. Only then will more tribals express willingness to shift to a civilised location.”
The Money Flow
Rs 46.38 cr
Amount sanctioned by the Centre for the project
Rs 27.90 cr
Amount Department received
Rs 21.68 cr
Amount disbursed
Rs 3.52 cr
Amount approved by district-level committee. But the amount is yet to be disbursed by the Revenue Department