167 residents seek inclusion in Neelakurinji Sanctuary settlement list

As the Revenue department begins issuing notices to landholders to complete the settlement process for the Neelakurinji Sanctuary in Vattavada, 167 residents excluded from the beneficiary list have demanded that the government issue an order to include them in the final settlement.

Recently, the department issued notices to residents in Blocks 58 and 62 of Vattavada and Kottakamboor villages, directing them to produce ownership documents before the Devikulam Subcollector. V.M. Arya, the Subcollector, issued notices to 452 individuals for final verification. Claim forms must be submitted using Form 8 under the Kerala Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

“Landholders must submit proof of legal ownership for lands held prior to 2006, along with the relevant documents, to the Kottakamboor and Vattavada village offices by February 14. The Devikulam Revenue Divisional Office has also been instructed to submit the claim forms by February 15,” Ms. Arya said. “The notices have been issued to verify the legal documents of landholders. Further steps will be taken after verification.”

Former Vattavada panchayat president K. Ramaraj said that while the department is completing document verification, 167 residents from Block 62 of Vattavada village who are not included in the current list.

“The Survey department had earlier identified these land and verified ownership. We demand that the Land Revenue Commissioner issue an order to consider the claims of these 167 people before the settlement process is completed,” Mr. Ramaraj said.

He added that the excluded individuals have been living in Vattavada for four to five generations. “The government should issue an order in their favour, which will offer great relief to them,” he said.

‘Awaiting govt. decision’

Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Arya said that a proposal has been forwarded to the government to include the 167 landholders within the sanctuary area. “To include them on the list, a specific government order is required. We are awaiting the government’s decision,” she said.

The Revenue department has finally initiated the settlement process for the Neelakurinji Sanctuary, nearly 20 years after it was first announced. On October 6, 2006, then Forest Minister Binoy Viswam announced the formation of a 32-square-kilometre sanctuary in the Kottakkamboor–Vattavada region of Devikulam taluk. However, boundary demarcation and surveys remained stalled for several years. The department completed the boundary marking only last year.

Land within the proposed sanctuary has long been a source of controversy, particularly over alleged encroachments, and has triggered political disputes. In December 2017, a three-member ministerial committee comprising then Ministers K. Raju (Forest), E. Chandrasekaran (Revenue), and M.M. Mani (Power) visited the Kadavari area of the proposed sanctuary to collect complaints and suggestions from local residents.