Thodupuzha: The Kerala government has appointed a new task force to conduct an anti-encroachment drive in the Idukki district. The Munnar anti-encroachment drive during the VS Achuthanandan regime had made headlines. The new development has brought the old story to the limelight. 

The 2007 drive during the VS regime faced the heat from the then Pinarayi Vijayan loyalists and local CPM leaders. The situation escalated when allegedly the CPI office was not initially given any special treatment even though the party is CPM’s major ally in LDF. As many as 91 buildings were grounded in the first drive which lasted for 25 days. CPM veteran MM Mani turned against VS and he even made a statement that the legs of those coming for the drive will be chopped off. The physical presence of VS during the drive at TATA group’s alleged encroachment made the situation uglier as the latter claimed the property was of the forest department. VS initiated steps to calm down the situation and later tried to give some special exemption, which dented the credibility of the anti-encroachment drive. 

The tussle over various matters even witnessed the transfer of bureaucratic top brass like the district collector  Raju Narayana Swamy. The second drive of the VS regime happened in 2008. The government faced lawsuits initiated by aggrieved big shots.   

Both the drives during the VS regime had huge public support. The ambitious pursuit however got disrupted due to party-related feuds. Many also say the nexus between politicians and big players in the region resulted in compromises, which in turn put the drive agenda in the backseat.  

Reacting to the new development, MM Mani said he would not allow the task force to interfere with the lives of people who migrated decades ago and businesses that operate in the hilly district. The encroachments of Tata and Harrisons Malayalam have to be addressed first, he added.

CPM district leadership has already hinted that no one has to step into Munnar with a ‘demolition spree’. LDF district leadership has also raised its contention against the task force deployed anti-encroachment drive. However, the question is whether a new task force can bell the cat.