Thiruvananthapuram: Hectic work is in progress in Idukki district to meet the deadline of April 30 for granting title deeds to 10,000 families.
Revenue Minister E. Chandrashekharan told DC that revenue officials in the district had been directed to expedite the work related to title deeds for those who possessed land prior to 1.1.1977, speed up survey activities and and examine the records at the earliest. The government plans to hold a Pattaya Mela either in April end or on the first week of May to distribute title deeds.
On the demands being raised for unconditional title deeds, the minister said all decisions would be subject to the existing rules and court verdicts. “We are trying our best to see how best can we have minimum conditions,” he said and added that a total of 25,500 hectares of land have to be distributed in Idukki district alone and about 3000 hectares elsewhere.
According to officials, the land in question was alienable and heritable and could be used for personal housing, cultivation or shop sites. The title deeds are subject to the fundamental rules including Land Assignment Rule 1964 and Regularisation of Occupation of Forest Land rules 1990.
Organisations like High Range Samrkshna Samithi have been raising the demand for title deeds for quite some time now. The demand for title deed in fact has been pending for decades.
Samithi members claim that A.K. Antony Government had even promised to give title deeds to all who possessed land up to four acres prior to January 1, 1977.
However, this got delayed because of the Government’s failure to remove the obstacles created by officials. Due to various technical reasons the title deeds could not be distributed among the local people. Litigation by environmental activists and organisations had also come in the way.
According to Samithi more than one lakh applications are pending before the government demanding title deeds.
