KOCHI: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has provided administrative sanction for the voluntary relocation of 246 families living in the core area of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
As per the plan Rs 36.9 crore is required for the relocation of these families of which MoEF will provide Rs 22.14 crore and the state government will contribute Rs 14.76 crore.
The MoEF will release 25 per cent of the fund next week and the remaining amount will be provided in instalments as the state government submits utilisation certificate. The MoEF had recently approved the enhancement of compensation from Rs 10 lakh per family to Rs 15 lakh per family.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Prakriti Srivastava, who is the special officer in charge of the Rebuild Kerala programme for relocation of forest dwellers said that the implementation of the project will be finalised by a panel including Wayanad collector, wildlife warden and forest field director.
“The settlements selected for relocation are Pambankolly, Manimunda, Pankalam and Chettiyalathoor. Among the 184 families of Chettiyalathoor, 131 have been provided compensation. The remaining 53 families will be relocated under the scheme. Though 261 families were identified for relocation, the residents of the Kolot settlement have not agreed to relocate. The remaining 246 families will be provided Rs 15 lakh each for relocation. There has been an increase in man-animal conflicts in the settlements located in the core area of the Wayanad sanctuary. The residents of the Pankulam settlement have informed that they will relocate the very next day once we transfer the compensation amount,” she said.
However, there are complaints that the compensation is inadequate as the families which surrender their land will not be able to purchase land and build a house with the amount.
“The proposal to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh per family was made in 2008. Land value and cost of construction have increased manifold and these families will not be able to purchase land. The government should help them settle,” said former KFRI scientist Dr S Shankar, who had conducted the survey for relocation.
Responding to the complaints, Prakriti Srivastava said each couple will get Rs 15 lakh and other adult members of the family will be considered as a separate family.