Tamil NaduEnvironment
Thenii Collector: genuine patta holders safe from eviction in Megamalai Tiger Reserve
Amid a survey to demarcate Megamalai Tiger Reserve boundaries following a Supreme Court eviction order, Theni Collector R. Vaithinathan assured that genuine patta holders will not be evicted. Families from the Paliyar tribe had complained they were listed as encroachers despite holding forest rights pattas.
A survey to identify and demarcate the boundaries of Srivalliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve in Theni district is underway following a Supreme Court order to evict encroachers. In response to complaints from families of the Paliyar tribe who said they were included on an encroachers list despite holding legal pattas under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, Theni Collector Dr R. Vaithinathan said genuine patta holders need not fear eviction and only those occupying forest land without valid rights would be evicted.
According to the Category I encroachers list submitted by the forest department to the Supreme Court, 1,595 families have encroached 1,679.733 hectares in the tiger reserve. The list includes those with permanent houses and livelihood dependent on forest land. The collector's assurance came after a section of Paliyar families complained that the forest department wrongly classified them as encroachers despite holding pattas.
- Patta
- Megamalai Tiger Reserve
From
Tamil NaduEnvironment
Thenii Collector: genuine patta holders safe from eviction in Megamalai Tiger Reserve
Amid a survey to demarcate Megamalai Tiger Reserve boundaries following a Supreme Court eviction order, Theni Collector R. Vaithinathan assured that genuine patta holders will not be evicted. Families from the Paliyar tribe had complained they were listed as encroachers despite holding forest rights pattas.
A survey to identify and demarcate the boundaries of Srivalliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve in Theni district is underway following a Supreme Court order to evict encroachers. In response to complaints from families of the Paliyar tribe who said they were included on an encroachers list despite holding legal pattas under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, Theni Collector Dr R. Vaithinathan said genuine patta holders need not fear eviction and only those occupying forest land without valid rights would be evicted.
According to the Category I encroachers list submitted by the forest department to the Supreme Court, 1,595 families have encroached 1,679.733 hectares in the tiger reserve. The list includes those with permanent houses and livelihood dependent on forest land. The collector's assurance came after a section of Paliyar families complained that the forest department wrongly classified them as encroachers despite holding pattas.
- Patta
- Megamalai Tiger Reserve
From