Farmers Movement Archive

Reinstate tree-felling order: Kisan Sabha

IDUKKI: All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Kerala, the farmers’ wing of CPI, has demanded that the government should reinstate the controversial tree cutting order issued on October 24 last year. The order was withdrawn later in March this year. Talking to TOI, AIKS state vice-president Mathew Varghese said that there was no need to withdraw the order allowing farmers to cut trees on revenue land assigned for cultivation. “The order was issued to save the interests of farmers. Before issuing the order two all-party meetings were held and all-party members, including former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, had attended the meeting. No parties had raised any objection to the order before it was issued. In our opinion, the order is not controversial,” said Varghese. “The title deed holder pays ‘tree tax’ for the trees on the patta land and the farmers have the ownership of such trees. But now the farmers are begging to get passes from revenue and forest lands for tree cutting. The government should allow the cutting of all trees except sandalwood from the title deed lands. The government should amend the 1964 rule to facilitate tree cutting,” said Varghese. Meanwhile, the forest vigilance squads are continuing their inspection in various parts of the district to find illegal tree-felling. A team led by forest flying squad DFO A Shanavaz will inspect all ranges under Kottayam and Idukki districts. “In Chinnakkanal alone 143 trees were cut under the shield of the order. Tree cutting was reported in Adimali, Ponmudi, Ayyappancovil, Mankuva, Udumbanchola and Rajakkad areas,” sources said. Devikulam sub-collector S Premkrishnan said, “I have asked Devikulam and Udumbanchola tahsildars to submit the details of applications submitted for tree-felling after the revenue department order.” Officials of Ayyappancovil range have unearthed nearly six loads of timber from Vellilamkandam near Kattappana, allegedly felled from the Cardamom Hills Reserve (CHR) area. According to officials, a preliminary inquiry revealed that CPI local leader and former president of Kanchiyar panchayat was involved in bringing the timber to use in cardamom dryer units. The forest officials said that they had not issued passes for tree cutting in the CHR area.

The Times of India

2021-06-15

Kochi