Kerala’s Revenue and Forest Ministers seek Centre’s intervention in long-standing demands on forest land regularisation and wild pigs

Kerala has reiterated its demand to regularise pre-1977 encroachments on forest land and for steps to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act to declare wild pig as vermin. The Kerala government has also sought special financial assistance to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts in a memorandum submitted to the Centre.

Kerala has reiterated its demand for regularisation of pre-1977 encroachments on forest land and steps to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act to declare wild pig as vermin.

The Kerala government has also sought special financial assistance to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts in a memorandum submitted to the Centre.

Revenue Minister K. Rajan and Forests Minister A.K. Saseendran raised the contentious issues during a discussion with Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi on February 7 (Wednesday).

Prime among the set of demands is the long-standing one on regularising encroachments prior to January 1, 1977. The proposal jointly put forth by the Revenue and the Forest departments relates to the occupied forest land spread across 2,499.5961 hectares of land in Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kannur. While over 8,500 families awaited land titles, Pathanamthitta alone accounts for nearly 6,350 families who have occupied 1,970.041 hectares of land.

While the State government has conveyed its willingness to submit joint verification reports, the Centre’s insistence on conclusive proof of occupation prior to 1977 has hindered the efforts.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government also took up the issue of Centrally-sponsored schemes that have stalled owing to the “inconsistency and variance” in sanctioning funds.

The State has sought the release of Central shares for the following projects: Project Tiger (balance amount of Central share: ₹4.35 crore), Project Elephant (₹2.33 crore), Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (₹11.08 crore), conservation and management of mangroves in Vembanad and Kannur regions (₹3.42 crore), and Green India Mission (₹54.72 crore).