Second Kerala Land Reforms To Ensure Land for All Eligible People: AP Anilkumar

Idukki: Kerala Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar on Monday said the state government was planning a second land reforms legislation to ensure land for all eligible sections of society, while asserting that encroachments on government land would be dealt with strictly.Addressing reporters after a revenue review meeting here, the minister said several land-related laws, some dating back six decades, had become outdated and required comprehensive reforms.

He said the UDF government had already announced in its budget that an expert committee would be constituted to recommend amendments to the existing laws, paving the way for a "second Land Reform Act".

"The first Land Reform Act brought about significant social change in Kerala. But many sections, particularly coastal communities, Scheduled Castes and tribal people, were left out of its benefits. There are still families without even five cents of land. The second land reforms legislation aims to address these gaps," Anilkumar said.

The minister said the government would remove hurdles preventing eligible people from obtaining title deeds (patta), while simultaneously cracking down on encroachments of government land.

No Compromise Against Encroachers

"Those entitled to land will get it. At the same time, there will be no compromise in reclaiming government land from encroachers," he said.

Referring to land issues in the high range Idukki district, Anilkumar said legal hurdles arising from court interventions had slowed progress in resolving several longstanding issues, and the government was exploring legal measures to address them.

He also said around 2.5 lakh applications for land reclassification were pending across Kerala and that the government had decided to dispose of about 25,000 applications as part of its 100-day programme.

Measures were also being taken to clear the backlog of files in revenue offices.

Anilkumar also said compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for victims of the recent Adimali landslide would be disbursed before Onam and directed officials to ensure there were no complaints arising from administrative lapses.