Kerala Opposition Walks Out From Assembly Over Illegal Felling Of Trees

Opposition leader VD Satheesan alleged that the government order issued on October 24 was withdrawn on February 2 after it became a controversy.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly, alleging that the Left government of shielding culprits in the illegal recent mass felling and smuggling of trees by forest mafia in the revenue land allotted to farmers for agriculture in a tribal village in Wayanad. PT Thomas who moved the notice for the adjournment motion alleged that rosewood trees worth crores were cut down and smuggled out from Muttil area in Wayanad to Ernakulam. He said the trees were cut based under the shield of a government order, issued by the Revenue Principal secretary on October 24, 2020, which allowed farmers to fell the trees that they had planted in land assigned to them under the Kerala Land Assignment Rules, 1964. Opposition leader VD Satheesan alleged that the government order issued on October 24 was withdrawn on February 2 after it became a controversy.