Forest land fraud by more estates

The Forest Department

had come up with damning details of misappropriation of forest land by owners

of not only Shernelly and Miraflores estates but also others in Nelliampathy, who

also had availed of loan on securities pledged with forest land.

 Based on the report, the state police

had registered six criminal cases at Padagiri police station against the estate

owners.

 The district police chief, Palakkad, in

a letter to Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Eastern Circle, on April 12,

2012, a copy of which is with Express said that six criminal cases had been registered

against Miraflores, Shernelly, Karappara, Brookland, Smitha Mount and Lakshmi

Estates.

 In the case of Smitha Mount, the CCF

had written to district police chief, Palakkad, that 62.

78 acres of forest land was put up for auction by Debt Recovery Tribunal, Ernakulam,

for recovery of loan payable to Jackson Traders to South Indian Bank.

 “This 62.

78 acres is a portion of the estate known as Smitha Mount Estate, which is a

forest land absolutely owned by the state.

 The auction sale of the forest land was

conducted in March 2005 without the knowledge of the Forest Department.

 The bank which gave the loan on the

strength of securities pledged with forest land, revenue officials involved, the

loanee and the person who purchased are responsible for the misappropriation of

valuable forest land,” claimed CCF letter dated February 1, 2012.

 The district police chief was also

informed about the details of loan availed of from various banks on similar lines

which was defaulted by the owners of other estates.

 “Alexandria estate availed of a loan of

Rs 47.66 lakh on the strength of securities pledged with 149.08 acres of forest land. On default of repayment, the bank has

approached the Debt Recovery Tribunal for the sale of the property.

No one is entitled to sell the forest

land.” Karappara estate took a loan of Rs 3.34 crore from SBI, Palakkad.

 “It has to be noted that portions of

the Nelliampathy reserved forest were leased out for raising cash crops by the

erstwhile Cochin Government.

 The lessee was having only limited leasehold

right.Pledging of the reserved forest after

October 1980 is prohibited without the prior approval of Government of India as

per the Forest Conservation Act 1980,” it pointed out. Lakshmi Estates also took the loan by

pledging the forest land but defaulted like the others.

“In all cases, valuable forest land has

been misappropriated leading to the sale by Debt Recovery Tribunal, attachment

by Revenue authorities and securing decrees favourable by banks on default of

repayment by loanees.

This kind of unlawful activities could be

possible only with the connivance, collusion and conspiracy among revenue, registration

and financial institution officials,” concluded the letter.