301 Colony residents put forward 10 recommendations to foster tribal settlement’s development

A tribal council meeting (Ooru Koottam) held recently at 301 Colony in Chinnakkanal panchayat near Munnar —one of the regions in the State most prone to wild elephant attacks — put forward ten key recommendations to foster the tribal settlement’s development and long-term sustainability.

The meeting took place on November 3 in the presence of the Adimaly Tribal Development Officer and the site in-charge of the Tribal Rehabilitation and Development Mission (TRDM). During the discussions, residents outlined key priorities spanning housing, basic infrastructure, land utilisation, agriculture, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.

Key proposals include a modern community hall-cum-library, a model preschool, cluster housing, and protective fencing around the settlement to deter wild elephant intrusions. The council proposed constructing cluster homes on land reserved for public utility, fortified with trenches and fences to prevent animal intrusions.

It also requested accommodations for beneficiaries who prefer building on individual plots rather than in clusters. Additionally, the meeting urged the Scheduled Tribes Development department to deliver essential amenities, including electricity, paved roads, drinking water, walkways, and retaining walls, as well as to renovate dilapidated houses through relevant department schemes.

The council also called on authorities to cancel the title deeds (pattayams) of allottees who have not yet occupied their plots, and to reallocate the land to eligible landless families. Beneficiaries who have leased out their plots were instructed to terminate the agreements, reclaim their land, and take up farming.

If they fail to comply, the District Collector will be petitioned to initiate eviction proceedings and repossess the plots. Furthermore, the council recommended establishing an agricultural cooperative society once all beneficiaries take possession of their plots to help market local produce.

The Tribal Development Officer stated that registration procedures would begin by electing a 15-member committee of beneficiaries. The council also called for streamlining administrative processes to transfer plot ownership to the legal heirs of deceased titleholders and to issue replacement deeds for lost documents.

The Tribal Development Officer reiterated that all individuals who leased out allotted plots must reclaim the land, cultivate it, and establish permanent residence, warning that non-compliance would result in deed cancellations and reallotments.

Colony residents agreed to reclaim leased holdings and settle permanently. According to officials, 211 of the 301 families have already settled in the colony. The remaining 90 families have been unable to construct homes due to various hardships, including deaths in the family.

In 2002–03, the A.K. Antony government allotted one acre of land each to 301 tribal families. However, the decision has long faced criticism because the area lies within a natural elephant corridor, making wild elephant encounters a recurring threat for the settlement.

Recently, the Forest Minister admitted that permitting human settlement in 301 Colony across natural elephant corridors in Chinnakkanal was a grave mistake made by the government.