Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, January 27, 2010: The state Cabinet has decided to authorize a Cabinet sub committee to study the fresh encroachments in Munnar, Ministers from Home, Revenue, Forest and Local administration would be members of the committee, informed Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan.

The government has taken a decision to evict illegal occupiers of public property and also initiate action against officials who abetted encroachment, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

When asked about the opposition from local CPM leadership on the encroachment drive VS Achuthanandan said, the decision was taken by LDF government and not CPM and the regional differences would not be taken into account.

The state government had two years ago set up a task force to identify and evict encroachers in Munnar following which hundreds of acres of government land were retrieved and unauthorised constructions demolished.

However, the operations came to a halt following complaints from within ruling LDF constituents, CPI and CPI (M), and encroachers.