Wednesday, August 24, 2011: The State government is considering a package to settle the issue of alienated tribal land at Attappady in Palakkad district. The proposal is to make the wind energy company which had encroached upon the tribal land to pay a share of its profits to the tribal people. A conference of officials of the company and the government and representatives of the tribes and leaders, convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Wednesday, discussed the proposal. However, an agreement could not be reached on the extent of land encroached upon by the firm and the profits to be shared.
Chandy told the media after the meeting that the government was trying to work out a profit-sharing formula beneficial to the tribes. The ownership of the land would be retained by the tribes and they would be encouraged to cultivate on the land excluding the area where towers for wind generators had been built.
The Chief Minister said that according to official reports, the wind energy company, Suzlon, had encroached upon 85.2 acres of tribal land. However, supporters of the agitation by the tribes were maintaining that the extent of encroached land could be between 124 acres and 180 acres. The company was in possession of 645 acres at three villages, of which the issue pertained to the land at Kottathara village. The Collector had been asked to examine the issue and submit a report in three months.
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