Land for tourism, Rules stresses on agriculture

Emphasis on agriculture and protecting the nature of the land has been stressed in the rules framed as part of allowing five per cent of the estate land for tourism purposes. According to the rules submitted by the Land Board to the government, it calls for using 90 per cent of the five per cent land for agriculture purpose.

Though the Kerala Land Reforms Act 1963 has been amended to ensure that five per cent of land in all plantations can be used for other purposes, the rules have not yet been framed. One of the important rules that has been framed and submitted for approval of the government is that only 5 per cent or 50 acres of the total land, which ever is minimal, should be only used for non – plantation purposes. And it has been said that only ten percent of the alienated 5 per cent land or 5 acres should be used for tourism purposes and the remaining for cultivating plants that has been specified in the amendment.

The rules specify that exemption on the land can be given only once, which the officials say would help in preventing more fragmentation of the land. In the rules, it has been said that the amendment will only be applicable to lands that are not involved in any court cases, highly placed sources said.

Another important rule as proposed is that fragmented lands should not be given the benefit of 5 per cent relaxation. It is learned that the Land Board has submitted about 40 rules to the government.

Source: The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/488448/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/28-04-2015#page/5/1

Kerala Govt takes a revolutionary Land step

Despite pressures to pay compensation of about 20 to 25 crores for the 75 acres of land to be acquired for setting up the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) at Wayanad, the government at last decides to give Rs 1.9 crore as compensation for the value of improvements/structures the lessee had done in the said land.

The Wayanad district collector had reported to the government that a compensation of Rs 1.9 crore could be given to the lessee for the structures/improvements he had done in the said land at Mananthawadi. The revenue department had forwarded the proposal to the Health department, which has been entrusted to pay the compensation.

The compensation was fixed after the government resumed 75 acres of land in Mananthwadi. In the order that was issued in August, it has been clearly stated that the lessee M/s Glen Leven Estate was not entitled for the value of the land as the jenmom right was vested with the government. However, the lessee is entitled only for the value of improvements/structures it had done in the said land. Moreover, the land was declared as excess land by the Taluk land Board.

Before the government came up with an order to resume the land, there was much pressure for giving compensation for the 75 acres of land. Even the Advocate General had in his legal opinion favoured compensation to the estate owners. The Express had then exposed the move with the Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan taking up the issue. The State Land Board and the Revenue Department had come out against providing compensation. The land Board in its report had said that the 75 acres of land to be acquired came under exempted category and was ''controlled land'' for which no compensation need be given.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/357098/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/16-10-2014#page/5/1

Govt mulls action plan to recover public land

With land grabbing by ''the rich and the influential' continuing unabated in the state, the government is evolving an action plan such as setting up a land resumption office exclusively for retrieving public lands.

It has been estimated that public lands coming to lakhs of acres are now in the hands of certain major players. A recent Centre government document has pointed out that 44,420 hectares of forest land were encroached upon by certain plantations in various districts.

Apart from encroachment of  forest lands, lands on the sides of the lakes and other water bodies are also encroached by resort mafia, trusts, individuals  and companies, highly placed sources said. ''With encroachment increasing across the state, the government is evolving an action plan, including setting up of a land resumption office for retrieving all public lands,'' they said.

With the Land Bank, which is entrusted with getting back public land, now almost non-functional, the government is for a separate wing for the purpose of getting back public lands. The officials said that the Land resumption office would be given full authority and set up on the lines of the special office that has been formed recently for taking back illegally possessed lands. 

Source

The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/272672/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/15-05-2014#page/4/1

Amendment to Kerala Land Reforms Act put the Govt in a fix

The State Government and the Land Board is in a fix over the practical implementation of the Amendment brought to the Kerala land Reforms Act, which gave exemption to cashew estates. Though the amendment was brought two years ago, the Land Board officials are in a quandary as the amendment, which they say have no clear guidelines and is incomplete.

Even though the amendment was brought in 2012, the Land Board has been continuously raising doubts over the implementation and the negative impact it would have on the land reforms. The confusion is very evident from the latest direction sent last month to the Land Board secretary that the amendment should only be followed. 

In the 2012 amendment, no specific cut of date for the plantations has been said, which has added to the confusion.  As per the amendment, any land having not less than 150 cashew trees per hectare before and after the amendment was brought in can be given exemption. The land board has been demanding the government to come out with specific guidelines as the present amendment brought in could hamper the good intentions of retrieving surplus land, which could be used for public purposes. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/258626/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-04-2014#page/4/1