CHENNAI: The issue of Janmam Lands’ retrieval, referring to securing thousands of acres of forest lands at Gudalur in Nilgiris district, triggered a debate with a member of the opposition and ruling alliance raising the issue during the budget debate in the House.

Participating in the debate on the budget in the State Assembly, AIADMK MLA from Gudalur Pon Jayaseelan set the tone for the debate when he drew the attention of the state government to retrieval of “Section 17 lands”, also called Gudalur Janmam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act of 1969, in Gudalur.

Intervening during the debate, Panruti MLA and member of Committee on Government Assurances T Velmurugan said that as much as 80,000 acres of Janmam lands were under the encroachment of private parties, who transferred such government assets into their names and mortgaged them in nationalised banks. Stating that a special DRO has been appointed by the State government to retrieve such lands, Velmurugan, referred to his visit to the Nilgiris in his capacity as chairman of the Committee on Government Assurances.

Velmurugan said private parties encroaching the Janmam lands owe tax to the tune of Rs 86,000 crore to the TN government. The articulate AIADMK MLA also caught the treasury benches off guard when he pointed to the lack of mention of Gudalur in the budget.