Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday restrained district collectors from considering applications for regularisation of paddy or wetlands reclaimed before 2008 in areas where data bank had not been finalised.
An amendment brought to Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 had enabled the authorities to regularise conversion of wet and paddy land made before 2008 after levying a fee of 25 per cent of the fair value of the land.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A.M. Shaffique, however, permitted the district collectors to consider applications for regularisation whe-re the data bank had been finalised.
The court issued the directives on a public interest litigation filed by the Nature Lovers’ Forum against the amendment. As per the amendment, a new section 3 had been inserted in the Act.
