THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversial tree felling at Muttil in Wayanad was facilitated through a government order issued as per the direction of former Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, it has emerged.
Copies of the files related to the tree felling also showed that then revenue minister overruled the objection by officers.
The revenue secretary issued the order as per a file note by Chandrasekharan on October 5, 2020.
The minister wanted the order to facilitate the felling of rosewood, teak and karimaram. He also directed to take action against the officers who object to the felling of these trees.
Following a representation from the farmers of Kuttampuzha, the minister had convened a meeting on June 27, 2019.
In that, the forest department stated that the farmers cannot be allowed to fell these types of trees since their ownership is vested with the government.
The department again raised this argument at another meeting held on September 3 that year.
The meeting decided to make an amendment to the land assignment rules to help farmers cut trees which they grew on a land after securing title deeds.
It also decided to seek the advice of the Law Department and Additional AG on the issue. But it did not materialise.
On Sunday, Chandrasekharan told reporters that the sanction was for cutting trees which were grown by farmers after obtaining the land’s title deed and not those that were present on the land at the time of handover.