Chokramudi land-grab: former taluk surveyor suspended

The surveyor allegedly failed to follow survey manual process during a boundary fixation of land owned by Maijo Joseph and his father on the Chokramudi hills

The State Survey Director suspended a former Udumbanchoala taluk surveyor for allegedly enabling encroachments on government land at the Chokramudi hills under Bison Valley taluk in Idukki.

A recent order issued by Survey Director Seeram Sambasiva Rao stated that Bibinraj R.B., the former Udumbanchola taluk surveyor, failed to follow the survey manual process during a boundary fixation of land owned by Maijo Joseph and his father.

“Form number 10 is used to apply for determination of boundaries of previously surveyed and registered land. But the surveyor fixed boundaries for land that was not previously surveyed and registered, as well as for areas recorded as rock poramboke land in taluk survey records,” said the order. Also, the surveyor did not use the land register during the inspection, as per the order.

According to the inspection process as part of Form 10 applications, if the surveyor finds that a land is not occupied or if no farming activities are taking place on it, they must stop the survey and should report the issue to the tehsildar, said the order.

The order further stated that the surveyor was aware that the land on the hillsis rock poramboke land. Despite this, he fixed boundaries of the land in the name of a private person. This is a serious violation.

Last week, State government ordered a department-level action against Bison Valley village officer, the charge officer concerned, Devikulam tehsildar, andthe former Udumbanchoala taluk surveyor over the alleged land-grab on the hills.

A special investigation team (SIT), led by Devikulam Subcollector V.M. Jayakrishnan, had submitted a report to the Idukki District Collector recommending strict action against the revenue officials. A recent report by the SIT, headed by K. Sethuraman, Inspector General of Police, North Zone, also points towards the involvement of Revenue department officials in the land-grab in the Chokramudi hills.

Published - October 17, 2024 08:25 pm IST