Kerala forest office orders halt to use of expired lease land

The Vazhachal Divisional Forest Office in Thrissur has issued a stop memo against the alleged continued occupation and commercial use of about 4,261 hectares of forestland by the Plantation Corporation of Kerala Ltd. The memo, dated September 29, also refers to pineapple cultivation by private parties on parts of the land in the Chalakudy division. It directs the corporation to stop entering the forest area to conduct farming activities.

According to the forest department, the land was handed over to the corporation under leases entered into between 1961 and 1972. Those leases covered a period of 50 years and have now expired. The Kerala High Court issued an order on August 5 restraining entry into the forestland after the lease period ended.

However, the Range Forest Officer, Athirappilly, reported that private individuals were cultivating pineapple in several areas, according to the memo. The department said the reported activity violated existing forest rules and the High Court’s direction. It also said continued occupation after the lease expiry contravened the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.

The stop memo places the immediate responsibility on the Plantation Corporation to halt access for farming work. The material supplied does not state whether the corporation has responded to the notice or whether cultivation has already stopped. The forest department warned that it would begin legal action over violations.

The order addresses both the corporation’s alleged continued use of the land and private cultivation reported within the area. No further details were provided about the future management of the forestland or the status of any separate arrangements involving private cultivators.