Munnar encroachment list has 2 CPM offices, 4 churches

Kottayam: The encroachers in Munnar include two CPM committee offices, four  Jacobite and Catholic churches and  one branch of the SNDP union. This is as per the consolidated list prepared by the revenue officials.

Most of these lands come  under the category of  illegal construction in non-patta land, illegal building in government land  or illegal occupation. The lands are spread over   Kanan Devan Hills, Pallivasal, Chinnakanal panchayat, Santhanpara, and Mannamkanda. According to the  list submitted by the revenue officials to the Idukki district collector which has been accessed  by Deccan Chronicle, the CPM has  constructed two offices  at Mannamkandan  encroaching on 66m2  of land and 0.0139H. The place numbered 109 and 116 in the list mentions  the construction of the party offices at these places.

The number 36 in the list refers to the illegal occupation of four cents of land by  St George Jacobite Suriyani Church, Thokkupara, at Kunchithanny, and another illegal occupation of five cents in the name of St George Catholic Church at Kunchithanny, 20 cents  in the name of the vicar of  St Joseph Church, Suriyanelli,  and 2.88  acres of land occupied at Pallivasal by the St Sebastian’s Church, Thokkupara. Ten cents of land was  occupied by the president of the Perumbnkuthu SNDP Union at Mankulam near Munnar.

The list shows  that among the 154 encroachments identified by the revenue officials,  94   possess  lands ranging from two cents to 30 cents.   It is alleged that the big encroachers were not included in the list.

Those behind the controversial prayer group ‘Spirit in Jesus,’ including Boby Sacaria and Jimmy Sacaria, own  12 acres and six acres respectively in Chinnakanal panchayat.

The name of high-profile encroachers,  including M.M. Lamboadaran and Toms Sacaraia, are absent in the list.

Lijeesh Lambodaran,   son of M.M. Lambodaran, illegally occupies seven-and-a-half acres of land at  Chinnakanal.  Tissin J. Thachankary, a close relative of ADGP Tomin J. Thachankary,  has  seven acres and seven  cents  of land at Chinnakanal.  

The name of V.S. Albin, a local CPM leader,  is in the list of those  occupying 10 cents of land  in Chinnakanal panchayat.