THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The revenue department has decided to correct the mistake that paved the way for the mass felling of trees, including rosewood, in Muttil, Wayanad. The Land Assignment (LA) Rules will be amended to include the four royal trees — teak, ebony, rosewood and sandalwood — in the schedule of trees vested with the government on both assigned and unoccupied lands.
The trees were omitted from the list during the tenure of the first Pinarayi Vijayan government. It issued an order to amend the rules on August 17, 2017. The order permitted landowners to cut naturally grown and planted royal trees on assigned pattaya land.
Though the Kerala High Court stayed the amendment, the revenue principal secretary issued an order permitting the felling of these trees, except sandalwood on assigned land. This resulted in large-scale tree felling in March 2021. Although the principal secretary’s order was later cancelled by the government to save face, the rules introduced by the amendment remain intact.
The discrepancy, that went unnoticed by legal, revenue and forest department officials, was finally spotted by revenue officials, who believe it will lead to more unauthorised feelings. The department will issue the new amendment in the coming days.