MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the HC has extended the stay granted against the eviction of occupants in Megamalai jungles in Theni district following the decision of the government to convert 24,655 hectares of the area into reserve forests. The forest department has declared the jungle areas of Megamalai as reserve forest.
Following this declaration, people who have been living in the areas for a long time and cultivating the land were ordered to vacate their houses and land before May 31, 2010. Thamizhchelvan of the AIADMK, M V K Jeeva of the CPI, and president of the farmers association Ramachandran filed writ petitions before the Madurai Bench objecting to the directive to the occupants of the lands to vacate their holdings without proper and adequate notice.