Govt Land Cleared in Kerala: Cross Removed in Idukki Amidst Heated Protests.

The disputed cross was built & installed by a private party despite the collector issuing a stop memo to remove it. Not only land gabbing, the Church linked resort project has its planning to influence the local Hindus to bring them under conversion rackets. 

B Upendran | HENB | Idukki | March 11, 2025:: A major controversy has erupted in Kerala’s Parunthumpara in Idukki district, after a private party, led by Sajith Joseph, erected a cross on government land, sparking widespread protests. Despite a stop memo issued by the district collector on March 2, Sajith went ahead and completed the construction of the cross on Friday.

However, on Monday, a revenue team, led by Peermade tahasildar (LA), demolished the cross, following the district collector’s directions. This move comes after a probe by the High Court-appointed special investigation team found rampant encroachment on government land in Parunthumpara, with the support of revenue officials.

The probe also revealed that Sajith had constructed a resort on 3.31 acres of government land. To address the issue, Idukki District Collector V Vigneswari has formed a 15-member special team to investigate large-scale encroachment on government land in three villages under the Peermade taluk. The case is flagged as a major land grabbing by the Christian perpetrators. Not only land grabbing, the Church linked resort project has its planning to influence the local Hindus to bring them under conversion rackets.

The collector had also issued a prohibitory order in the three villages from March 6 to May 2. The demolition of the cross has brought attention to the issue of encroachment on government land and the need for stricter regulations to prevent such incidents in the future.

In a contrast, allegations have also surfaced against revenue officials in Peermade Taluk, accusing them of colluding with land mafia. In response, a special investigation team has been constituted to probe the matter. The team will be headed by the Idukki sub-collector and comprise officials who have no prior experience of working in Peermade Taluk.

To facilitate the investigation, two survey teams will be formed to survey and demarcate government land in specific survey numbers of Peermade, Manjumala, and Wagamon villages. These areas have reported large-scale encroachments, prompting the need for official intervention.

In anticipation of potential law and order issues, the collector has issued a prohibitory order in the affected villages from March 6 to April 2. To ensure compliance, Peermade tahsilar Seema Joseph has been appointed as the executive magistrate. Additionally, the Peermade tahsildar, Peermade DySP, district geologist, and local administration department joint director have been instructed to prevent any further encroachments or illegal construction activities in the region.
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__Agency inputs.