Six forest officials suspended for letting tribals illegally cultivate over 1,000 acres of land in Jawadhu Hills
The officials allegedly accepted bribes to allow farming outside permitted areas, and promised title deeds in violation of Forest Rights Act, 2006. Probe reveals involvement of 600-700 tribals
Six forest officials in Tiruvannamalai have been suspended for their role in allowing tribals to illegally cultivate over 1,000 acres of forest land atop Jawadhu Hills. The suspended officials included S. Prabhu, K. Senguttuvan, F. Arunagiri, K. Subramani, S. Muthu, and R. Suresh. They allegedly allowed tribals to extend their cultivation beyond the permitted areas for three years, a practice known as 'accelerated cultivation.'
The officials also promised the tribals that their names would be added to forest records as 'traditional cultivators' to secure title deeds under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006. The probe found that around 600-700 tribals could have been involved, each potentially paying ₹3,000-5,000 monthly to the officials for the illicit farming and land title deeds.
The Mayalali tribes in Jawadhu Hills, while socially and economically developed, were reportedly not well versed in the provisions of the FRA, leading to their belief in the officials' assurances.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
