Wayanad MC: doubts raised over land taken from Trust

The decision to take over 50 acres of land offered by a Trust for the proposed Wayanad Medical College has raised serious concern among the revenue officials who allege that it would only lead to diluting the Kerala Land Reforms Act and the Kerala Land Assignment Act. The decision is learned to have been taken in a haste without looking into the legal aspects and also defying the Land Board and Revenue department's contention that it will only create a precedence for regularisiing illegal lands held by encroachers.

Though the cabinet decided last week to take over the 50 acres of land from the 150 acres that the Trust possessed, highly placed officials fear that the decision was a move to regularise its remaining land. Though the land is being taken back, the government has not taken any decision with respect to the remaining land, which the Land Board has already stated that if a part of the land is utilised for any other purpose than for which it is exempted, then the exemption will be lost and the land will be vested with the government.

The Land Board and the revenue department had from the beginning noted that the whole land belonged to the government and no regularisation can be given. They found that the Trust had got ‘’purchase certificate’’ for the land that is only given for cultivating tenants as per the Kerala Land reforms Act. As per the land reforms Act, purchase certificate is issued only to natural Human beings and not to companies or trusts. As such the Land Board had informed that the whole land belonged to the Government.

With respect to the remaining land in possession of the trust, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash said that a decision can be taken only after looking all legal aspects. When pointed out that the Land Board has raised objections, he said ''the trust claims to have all documents. On the remaining land, the government will have to look into all the legal issues related to it.''

Source: The Newindianexpress

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