Dharmapuri forest department clarifies evicted people are caste Hindus, not tribals
DHARMAPURI: Two days after a family alleged that it was forcibly evicted from forest land in Pennagaram, the Dharmapuri forest department on Sunday clarified that tribals were not evicted and that a caste Hindu family that had encroached upon the land as they failed to respond to several legal notice served earlier.
Dharmapuri district forest officer S Rajangam, said, “On Friday, the forest department along with police and revenue officials went to an encroachment area inside Bevanur reserve forest, and tried to evict a family of M Krishnan (42), who had encroached upon forest land near the Cauvery river.
Since the year 2021, over three notices were served to him and the revenue department offered to provide alternative land near Pennagaram. However, he declined it and sought land at other place. A few metres away from the place, over 12 families are residing in the area as encroachers. All are belonging to caste Hindus, but following the Friday eviction attempt, a false message was shared in various social media that the encroachers were tribal people and forest department forcibly evicted them.”
He added, “The forest department tried to evict only one family, who is a caste Hindu, and has land at Ajjanahalli and Koothapadi village. He stayed in a place which comes under elephant corridor. To protect the forest and wildlife, forest department tried to evict the encroachers in forest land and to prevent poaching inside the forest and surroundings.”