Officials’ visit to Thusharagiri a farce, say greens

It is part of a pre-planned conspiracy, alleges river protection forum

The All Kerala River Protection Committee has alleged that officials’ visit to Thusharagiri to assess the situation there was nothing but a farce and part of a pre-planned conspiracy. In a letter to E.K.Vijayan, MLA, the Committee pointed out that the officials’ statement that following the Supreme Court order was their priority and acquiring the land in dispute was only a secondary concern was proof of this. It was on August 16 that a few officials, including Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Rajesh Raveendran, Divisional Forest Officer M. Rajeev and Secretary of the District Tourism Promotion Council C.P. Beena, visited Thusharagiri. They were led by MLA Linto Joseph. Their purpose was to assess the feasibility of purchasing 24 acres that the Forest Department had acquired in 2,000 to protect it from tree felling, but had to handover now to the original owners following a Supreme Court order. The River Protection Committee was irked by the alleged statement of the Forest Minister that tourism was more important in Thusharagiri than protecting the forests. “It is an insult to Kerala society that boasts of being so advanced,” it said.