IDUKKI: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday demanded the government to order a Crime Branch probe into the alleged encroachment of land by Joice George MP in Kottakamboor, a key area of Neelakurinji blooms, by holding fake land deeds.
Talking to reporters at Munnar after visiting the proposed Kurinjimala Sanctuary in Kottakamboor and Vattavada, Chennithala said the report given by the ministerial team indicating there is no sanctuary in Kottakamboor is false. “The government should not mix the concerns of farmers with that of encroachers.
The UDF is always with the migrant community here who make a living through farming. The UDF had never backed the cause of large scale encroachers,” he said.“The government is putting at risk the rich biodiversity of the place, which is also a major tourist destination. The government decision to rework the boundaries of the Neelakurinji reserve in Munnar is intended only to make it an easy target for land-grabbers,” he said.
He demanded George should disclose the title for land in Kottakamboor before the public. “The government should complete the resurvey procedures in Munnar at the earliest to elicit the views and allay fears of the people,” he said.