Demolition of tribal huts in Wayanad: Forest official suspended

K.S. Deepa, Chief Conservator of Forests (Northern Circle), suspended section Forest officer T. Krishnan on Tuesday following the alleged demolition of huts belonging to three tribal families in the Kollimoola Paniya tribal hamlet at Begur within the Tholpetty forest range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday night and has since ignited widespread protests by the affected families as well as political parties.

Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran had on Monday directed the Chief Wildlife Warden to prepare a report and take appropriate action against the officials involved in the incident. In a subsequent assurance, WWS officials said the displaced families would be temporarily accommodated in a forest dormitory until their homes were reconstructed.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has also taken note of the situation, instructing the Forest department and the district authorities to submit a report on the recent demolitions. The SHRC, acting on media reports, registered a suo motu case. SHRC member K. Byjunath tasked the Mananthavady divisional forest officer and the Wayanad District Collector to investigate the matter and submit a report within 15 days.

Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes O.R. Kelu condemned the Forest department’s actions as “wrong,” emphasising that the demolitions were carried out without consulting local bodies.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Forest Protective Staff Association (KFPSA) expressed strong dissent against media reports regarding the incident, labelling them as baseless. It said that all actions were taken in accordance with forest laws aimed at protecting the environment and asserting that misleading reports could undermine the morale of the Forest staff.

Published - November 27, 2024 01:38 am IST