Tribals to get back usurped land in Palakkad: Achuthanandan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Wednesday said land belonging to ethnic tribals at Attapadi near Palakkad, where a private firm has set up windmills, would be given back to the tribals.

Achuthanandan told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting here the decision was taken after the state chief secretary submitted a report to this effect.

“We have also decided to launch a vigilance probe into the land grab because this seems to involve a few government departments also,” said Achuthanandan.

“We have asked the vigilance department to see that the probe is completed in three months,” said Achuthanandan.

The land grab issue had surfaced in the assembly in July and the Congress-led opposition asked the state government to take action against the officials and companies that had cheated the tribals in Palakkad district by usurping their land.

Around 146 acres of land that belonged to the tribals was taken from them on the sly at a very low price by a group of people and sold to the windmill company for a