Encroachment at Parunthumpara in Idukki cleared; Revenue Department demolishes cross; prohibitory order declared

IDUKKI: The Revenue Department has demolished an illegally erected cross on encroached land in Parunthumpara, Idukki. A team of officials led by the Peerumedu Tahsildar removed the cross. The Revenue Minister clarified that a prohibitory order has been declared in the area for two months. It took three hours to cut down the concrete cross. The Revenue Department started the process of demolishing the cross with the help of the police. The cross was demolished using cutters. This is the first step related to the encroachment. The tea plants present at the site were uprooted and a large pit was dug there to install the cross.

The District Collector had assigned the Peerumedu LR Tahsildar to issue a stop memo for construction activities on the encroached land in Parunthumpara on the 2nd of this month. The cross was found at the site after news related to the encroachment came out. It is reported that the cross was installed there deliberately. Officials explained that a cross made at another place was brought here and installed here and this was not noticed. A cross was installed on the encroached land in Suryanelli also in 2017. It was later demolished by the district administration.