THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the raging controversy, former revenue minister E Chandrasekharan on Tuesday clarified that reports that the Land Assignment Act, 1960, was amended to facilitate illegal tree felling from the pattayam land were baseless. There are around 10 land assignment rules (pattayams) under the Kerala Land Assignment Act of which only the Kerala Land Assignment Rules, 1964, related to the land assigned only in hilly tracts were amended following the request from farmers to allow them to cut trees they raised, he said.
“No other rules have been amended by the state government and the reports that the permission was given to cut trees from all pattayam lands are baseless. The landowners are not allowed to cut royal trees like teak, rosewood, ebony and sandalwood from their compounds as the right of these trees is vested with the state government. The order issued by the revenue department on October 24, 2020 has not diluted this provision,” he said.
But in the land assigned to farmers under 1964 rules, they could claim right to the 76 types of “trees they had raised”, other than sandalwood, for which they had paid the price during the time of land assignment.
The reports that the order had said that the officials who objected to the legal cutting of trees would face action are also baseless. Since the assigned tracts of land have vested trees, the forest and revenue officials are free to hold inspection and register cases in case of violation, he said. The felled trees can be transported only with the transit permit issued by the forest department for which the possession certificate issued by the village officer is necessary.
“If there were any illegal acts, it would have been revealed during that time, he added. These are the facts related to the controversy. If any officer had favoured cutting of trees listed in the government schedule, they would have to face action as stated by the chief minister,” he said.