KOCHI: The human rights commission took a suo moto case in the incident of chopping down plantains on the one-acre land of Anish at Ilangadam in Puthupadi, Kothamangalam, by KSEB authorities. Commission member V K Beena Kumari demanded the KSEB chairman to give an explanation in fifteen days. The commission is taking action in the case registered based on media reports.

The KSEB employees axed the banana plants last Friday. Anish, a farmer of Kothamangalam said nearly 406 plantains were felled by the KSEB employees. Anish said that he has been growing plantains for years and this act was without any prior warning.

The farmer also complained that the KSEB did not approach him before felling the plantains. Anish said that if they had contacted earlier, could have thought of alternative measures. He said the plantains were grown for the Onam market and these were destroyed due to the act of the KSEB. It was axed just of couple of weeks before harvest. He said that he suffered a loss of Rs 4 lakhs.

Soon after the incident led to widespread protests, the minister of electricity had announced the other day that appropriate compensation would be given to the farmer for it. The KSEB officials said the leaves were touching the power line and causing power outages. The plants were felled as they were under the 220 KV line.

The minister's office stated that the concerned officials informed that the bananas growing near the line were urgently cut because it is necessary to restore the Idukki-Kothamangalam 220 KV line and there is a possibility of danger to human life. The minister's office also informed that the director of KSEB's broadcasting department has been instructed to take a decision to provide appropriate assistance in consultation with the officials of the agriculture department, considering it as a special case on humanitarian grounds.