CEAN alleges tea estates being diverted for residential, commercial use

The Confederation of Nilgiris Environmental Associations (CEAN-Kotagiri chapter) alleged that some tea estates in the district were violating the Tamilnadu Land Reforms (fixation of land ceiling) Act, 1961.

The law, which regulates the maximum amount of agricultural land a family or an individual can hold in the State, was enacted to “reduce inequalities in land ownership” and “prevent concentration of land in a few hands”, retired IAS officer and CEAN President Surjit K. Chaudhary said in a press release.

Mr. Chaudhary said some tea estates in the district have been diverted from tea cultivation to residential and commercial purposes, violating existing laws. CEAN stated that properties at Yedapalli in Coonoor and other areas in the district have been converted for purposes other than tea cultivation.

Raising questions on how officials gave approval for these referrals, Mr. Chaudhary sent a letter to the district collector with a detailed list of referrals and questions on how permissions were given.

It called for the power to be cut off to all individual electrical connections and street lights in properties built on tea plantations, and for all roads to be declared illegal and closed. He also called for a list of all tea gardens violating the law to be prepared and registration of parceled land to be declared illegal.