The Kumily panchayat in Idukki plans to install green check posts to collect a surcharge from tourist vehicles arriving at the Thekkady tourist destination. Previously, the Munnar and Devikulam panchayats made similar decisions to collect surcharges from tourist vehicles, starting from the Onam season. The local body decided to install the green check posts after Forest department officials sought details regarding business establishments in Kumily town, which serves as the entry point to the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady.

Kumily panchayat president M.M. Varghese stated that the panchayat plans to install two green check posts —one at Vandanmedu Junction and another on the Thekkady route — to collect the surcharge from tourist vehicles. “The panchayat committee will soon discuss the idea, approve it, and take further steps. Currently, the PTR authorities collect tourism revenue from the tourists arriving in Thekkady, while the Kumily panchayat is left with the responsibility of handling the huge amount of waste generated by the tourism industry,” Mr. Varghese said. “Waste management is a major hurdle for the panchayat, and we do not receive any income from the tourists.”.

Mr. Varghese further noted that the PTR Assistant Field Director recently submitted a letter to the Kumily panchayat secretary demanding details of the establishments operating within the panchayat limits. “The letter stated that they sought these details to submit to their higher authorities. However, the Field Director has no right to demand details from establishments under the local body without going through the Panchayat Director or the government. The panchayat has submitted a reply stating that we cannot provide the requested details based on their letter,” Mr. Varghese added.

‘Suspicious’

“The interventions by the Forest department in Thekkady are suspect, and they are functioning like a parallel government. For instance, the parking ground at Anavachal in Thekkady was constructed using Tourism department funds, but now the Forest department does not allow other vehicles to park there,” Mr. Varghese alleged.

Meanwhile, PTR Assistant Field Director R. Lakshmi clarified that the PTR sought details of the establishments under the panchayat simply to conduct a stakeholders’ meeting. “The last tourism stakeholders’ meeting was held five years ago, and the Forest department is now planning to conduct a new one. The list of establishments was requested from the local body to determine the number of participating firms and other details. Ultimately, the firms in Kumily town are stakeholders of the PTR. After the local body raised objections, I submitted another letter to the secretary clarifying the purpose behind requesting these details,” Ms. Lakshmi said.

“There is no controversy here, and some people are merely trying to whip up sentiment against the Forest department,” the official added.