Conversion to forest land: CBI should probe on bribe takers, says George

KOCHI: Government Chief Whip P C George said that CBI should also investigate on those officials of the forest department who took bribe from Tamil Nadu to convert Cherunelli estate in Nelliyampathy into reserve forest land.

Addressing the media, he alleged that certain persons from the film industry have also taken bribe from Tamil Nadu.

He said that according to the 1910 report of Survey of India, Cherunelli estate is a rubber estate which has also been registered with the Rubber Board in 1933.

He alleged that Tamil Nadu requires Nelliyampathy for its tiger reserve and hence it bribed the officials of the forest department to get the estate converted to forest land.

He added that a ‘cinema mafia’ has also backed Tamil Nadu in the move by taking bribe.

He alleged the forest department is against the building of a new dam in Mullaperiyar as it has accepted bribes from Tamil Nadu. He added that water is also smuggled through the forest and CBI should probe into all these issues.