1,046 acres of excess land to be distributed

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCT. 15. The Revenue Minister, Mr. K. M. Mani, said in the Assembly today that the State Government would take steps to distribute 1,046 acres of excess land, besides taking over another 2,821 acres which did not have any legal hurdles.

Replying to a debate on the Kerala Stay of Eviction Proceedings Bill, 2001, Mr. Mani said the Bill was being introduced only as a temporary measure till a comprehensive legislation seeking to amend the Kerala Land Reforms Act and regularise the holdings of small farmers and cultivating tenants was passed.

The Government was willing to order a probe into any allegation of malpractice in land deals involving excess land taken over by the Government.

Raising objections, the CPI(M) leader, Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, feared that the new legislation would lead to tinkering with the Land Reforms Act.

Deviating from the positions of the former LDF Government, he said there were several lapses in the survey conducted in the Vadakkekara estate and the bigwigs had escaped eviction. So, eviction of farmers from their land at a time when the State was going through a major farm crisis was unjustified, he said.

He lamented that there was no system which could check malpractice involving excess land. He alleged that several acres of land declared as excess had been transferred in the name of a Muslim education society to run a college in Perinthalmanna.

The atmosphere turned tense when Mr. Kodiyeri went on to allege that the Education Minister, Mr. Nalakath Soopy, was in the know of the deal.

Mr. Soopy promptly denied the charge and it was left to his IUML colleagues to take up cudgels against Mr. Kodiyeri. The IUML leader, Mr. C. Moinkutty, alleged that the CPI(M) had taken possession of excess land in Thamarassery for its party office.

Mr. Balakrishnan took exception to the dual stand of the Government regarding revalidating the lapsed provisions in the Ordinance.

This discrimination was to be seen in the provisions of the Kerala Forest Bill and the Kerala Stay Proceedings Bill.

The Kerala Stay of Eviction Proceedings Bill, 2001, which was later referred to the Subject Committee seeks to protect the cultivating tenant or small holder who holds or possesses any land by way of assignment or otherwise as purchase for purchaser for consideration evidenced by registered document or otherwise and which is subsequently found to be excess land surrendered under the provisions of the Kerala Land Reforms Act of 1963.

The bill seeks to give protection to these segments from eviction from July 18, 2001 to March 30 2002.

According to the Bill's statement of objects and reasons, numerous proceedings are pending before land tribunals, taluk land boards and the State land board, the courts of the revenue authorities or other authorities wherein small land-holders and cultivating tenants who purchased or otherwise acquired land for consideration, evidenced by registered documents or otherwise, are under threat of eviction or dispossession.

The Government is examining the feasibility of bringing a comprehensive amendment to the Kerala Land Reforms Act for protecting such small land-holders and cultivating tenants from eviction and dispossession, besides protecting their rights and interests in such land.

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Section  : Southern States
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