Crime Branch to probe Munnar land encroachments

Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 (UNI) Taking a firm stand against land encroachments in the tourist destination of Munnar, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said a special team of Crime Branch and Vigilance would be constituted to probe the cases of forged land documents.

Besides, two task forces will be constituted to help the three- member special team that was engaged in evicting encroachers from the government land and demolishing unauthorised structures. An ordinance would also be promulgated to ensure the protection of ecologically and geologically important places in the state.

Briefing newspersons here after a meeting of the State Cabinet, the Chief Minister said revenue principal secretary Nivedita P Haran would oversee the operations.

The team would have to deal with 3,000 cases within three months.

Cases would be filed against all those who possessed forged title deeds and officials who fabricated such documents, he added.

Though, there were strong demands from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituents to change the three-member team comprising Special Officer K Suresh Kumar, Inspector General of Police Rishi Raj Singh and Idukki District Collector Raju Narayanaswamy, but the Chief Minister did not concede to it.

The team took some bold initiatives to clean up the hill resort off encroachments by demolishing several structures and recovering land during past one week.

The leaders of the CPI(M), the CPI and other constituents of the LDF, who earlier wanted a change in the composition of the team, realised that any change would prove a major embarrassment to their respective parties and the government.

''I am not bothered about the colour of the cat, but I will make sure that the cat catches its prey. The team is on their job and I am satisfied with its performance,'' he added.

Hitting hard at the critics within the party and outside, Mr Achuthanandan said Mr Suresh Kumar, the head of the team, was a non-corrupt official.

''It is true that I am close to that official who was the director of State Lotteries when the previous UDF Government was in power. In fact, it was with the help of information provided to me by Mr Suresh Kumar I came out with charges against the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Finance Minister Vakkom Purushothaman on the online lottery case,'' he added.

UNI