Kanjirathinal land issue: CM Pinarayi Vijayan to convene special meeting

KALPETTA: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would convene a meeting of officials from the forest, revenue and law department apart from people's representatives to sort out the land issue of late farmer Kanijirathinal George, on July 14, according to CK Saseendran MLA. The family of Treesa, daughter of Kanjirathinal George, has been on an indefinite sit-in in front of the Collectorate, here, for almost a year.

Two successive chief ministers, VS Achuthandan and Oommen Chandy, had intervened in the issue but their efforts proved futile.  Treesa and husband James await the mercy of the third chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to assert her right over 12 acres of farm land possessed by her father. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had convened a meeting on the same lines but sans any results.

George and his brother Jose bought the twelve acres of Janmam patta land in 1967. In 1977, the forest department made an attempt to evict the farmer claiming that the department had notified the land under the Kerala Private Forest Vesting and Assignment Act. As the move was illegal, the forest tribunal in a verdict recognized the right of the farmer in 1978.

But later, forest officials allegedly fabricated evidence and won the case in a series of legal wrangles. Interestingly, the forest department again notified the land in 2012. Both George and his wife Elikkutti died. Kalpetta MLA CK Saseendran told DC that the government was committed to resolving the issue in a foolproof manner. "We would ensure justice to the farmer", he added.