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

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/425278/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/26-01-2015#page/5/1

Revenue Adalats sitting on files to inflate plaint figures

In an effort to come out with inflated figures of complaint redressal in the revenue adalat scheduled for every district, revenue officials are allegedly asked to sit on files which have already been positively considered and redressed. It is alleged that instructions have been given to all the revenue offices across the state not to issue pattayams (title deeds) or provide relief measures to those whose applications/complaints have been cleared but only to disburse them at the forthcoming adalats.

The government has decided to conduct revenue adalats in all the 14 districts to sort out various complaints , including issues related to resurvey, pattayam, relief measures under National Family Benefit Scheme and Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. Most of the complaints that have been settled are alleged to be kept in abeyance for its distribution only in the adalatas for ensuring more participation. 

Alleging that the officials in each district have been asked to make sure of about 20,000 to 25,000 participation  in the adalats,  Kerala Revenue Department Staff Association (KRDSA) president K Sreekantan Nair said ''directions have been issued during the various meetings convened by the district collector and other officials not to proceed on any of the applications which has been settled. But was asked to proceed them only at the adalats.'' The government was only conducting adalats as a forum to blow things out of proportion, he said and added that all the issues that come up in the adalats are normally dealt at the revenue offices itself.  

''There are instances where the files are delayed for years.  The adalats should focus on clearing these long pending files and applications and not for redressing the issues on which action has already been completed. It is absurd on the government to conduct such adalats,'' Nair said. 

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash said that there were some people who were out for scuttling a major event.  Stating that the adalat will give more focus on complaints that have been pending for a long time, he said that instructions  have been issued to settle all the issues except that is entangled in court cases. ''The adalat is being conducted for getting results. It has been directed that the applications received after the announcement of the adalat should be cleared at the event itself. We hope that a majority of the complaints and applications will be disposed off at the adalat,' he said.   

Source: The New Indian Express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/400765/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/22-12-2014#page/6/1