Government to retrieve illegal land from HML

Kerala government today made it clear that it would go ahead with the resolve to retrieve lands illegally in possession of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd in different parts of the state.
Talking to reporters here, State Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash while giving details of eviction notice served to HML to vacate nearly 30,000 acres spread across Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts said government would also take steps to recover other stretches of lands, illegally held by the company.
He also said it was estimated that nearly 60,000 acres of government land was in possession of HML.
The notice was served by special officer after due examination and determining that the land in question belonged to the government and that HML had occupied it without valid documents, he said.

The notice served on November 28 last asked HML to vacate the land within one month from December 2, failing which the company will be summarily evicted. The notice says that crops or construction on the land will be forfeited.
The Minister also questioned the advertisement in newspapers issued by HML stating that the company had not encroached on government land and their records were legitimate.
Prakash said Vigilance Department had recommended registering case against four officials of HML for alleged forging of documents and recommendation in this regard would be forwarded to the Home Department.
He said government would examine the possibility of distributing the recovered land to landless people in the state as part of its goal of 'Zero Landless' citizens by 2015 under the programme of the same name launched in 2013.