IDUKKI: The tribal community’s threat of boycotting the upcoming local body polls has triggered a political tremor in Idukki, forcing development work in Vattavada and Edamalakkudy to finally move after years of official inertia.
In Vattavada, five Muthuvan settlements had unanimously declared a non-participation campaign, citing two unresolved issues: the Block 59 land dispute and the 16-km Chilathiyar-Swamiyaralakkudi-Koodalarkudi-Valsapetti-Ullavayal road, pending for decades. The dispute involves 2,939 acres in Block 59, of which 1,384 acres are revenue land, 550 acres were declared reserve forest in 1,908, and 1,005 acres remain under the Forest Department.
Continued errors in the Basic Tax Register, wrongly marking revenue land as forest, have prevented residents from receiving title deeds, aggravating mistrust.
An all-party meeting last week assured that 25% of the road work will be completed before the 2026 assembly elections. This has prompted the settlements to withdraw their boycott for now.
Local body member Ramaraj said a joint survey led by the forest and revenue departments is crucial to settling the long-standing confusion in Block 59.
“The digital resurvey has already begun in Vattavada, but the disputed stretch where boundary stones were placed differently will now be jointly verified. Once the classification errors in the records are corrected, and the land is properly identified as revenue land, the process of issuing title deeds to the tribal settlements can move forward,” Ramaraj said.
The road project has crossed a crucial technical milestone, with level survey proceedings completed. Officials said the next step is the preparation of the final estimate, after which construction is expected to begin using a 60:40 funding pattern between the Union and state governments.
“Considering how long we have been denied basic infrastructure like motorable roads, every party has come forward to stand with us this time,” district panchayat member and tribal settler C Rajendran said.
But tribal leaders warn their consent is provisional.“If the promises are not fulfilled, we will pull back our candidates for the assembly elections,” said tribal chief Ramaswamy.
“We are not here to remain as vote banks unless our necessities are met.” In Edamalakkudy, the tribespeople’s pressure has yielded their first breakthrough in years. Construction on the Pettimudi-Societykudi road restarted two weeks ago after a deadlock lasting months. Of the total 7.7 km, 4.9 km had already been concreted; the remaining stretch is finally undergoing formation work.
“We decided to boycott the elections. But after officials accelerated the work, we withdrew from that position,” said Muthuvan Adivasi Samudaya Sangham president M Palraj.
With four tribal-reserved wards in Vattavada — Koodalarkudi, Koviloor, Vattavada South and Edamanal — the political fronts are now facing a sharp contest. In these wards, all major parties have fielded candidates, reflecting the rising electoral weight of the settlements.