Residents of Gudalur, TN protest forest dept labelling them "illegal occupants"

Chennai: Residents of O-Valley in the Tamil Nadu town of Gudalur are protesting the state forest department because they feel that the department refers to them as "illegal occupants."

R. Ranjith, Coordinator of O-Valley Makkal Padhukappu Iyyakam, said that Kommu Omkaram, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the region, had told them that only tribal people were eligible for the forest department's basic services, such as roads and electricity, and not illegal occupants of O-Valley.

He said that the response came on a petition filed by the residents of O-Valley, comprising mostly of daily wage labourers working in tea plantations, who wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on the delay in laying roads in their settlements.

The PMO forwarded the letter to the Nilgiris District Collector, who sent it to the DFO.

The statement of the DFO about the residents of O-Valley has sparked a row with the residents responding that they are not illegal occupants and have Aadhaar and voter ID cards.

Ranjith said that during elections, the politicians come to O-Valley for votes but forget them after the polls.

He added that there were land issues that the DMK government had promised to solve but even after 21 months passed since it came to power, nothing has happened.

The O-Valley residents, according to the association leaders, are planning a massive agitation for the restoration and repair of roads in Seaforth Estate, and roads from Gudalur to O-Valley.

With inputs from IANS