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

Waynad Medical College: Row over Govt's move to acquire Land

The state government has decided to take over 50 acres of land from a Trust for the proposed Wayanad Medical College despite the Kerala Land Board opposing it stating that it was government land. The decision was taken last week at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Though the government has decided to take over the land, the State Land Board has still raised objection stating that there was no need for any favour from the Trust as it was government land. The Trust had got ‘’purchase certificate’’ for the land which is only given for cultivating tenants as per the Kerala Land reforms Act. According to the Act, purchase certificate is issued only to Human beings and not to companies or trusts, the sources said and added that as such the Land Board had raised the objection and conveyed the message to the Government that the whole land belonged to the Government.

The Trust had stated that it will provide 50 acres of land from the 150 acres that it possessed. The sources said that the Government's decision to take the 50 acres of land of the Trust was a move to regularise its remaining land. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/291097/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/20-06-2014#page/5/1

Probe on into charges of KDHP's illegal toll collection

The Revenue department has initiated a probe into widespread complaints raised against the illegal tourism activities and levying of fee from public/tourists by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations.  The tourists and public are alleged to be taxed by way of entry charges, sight seeing charges, toll charges, road user charges and road maintenance charge, which cannot be done as per the Kanan Devan Hills Resumption Act.

The Land Board secretary, which has got an instruction from the Government Principal Secretary to look into the complaints, had directed the Idukki district administration to look into the issue and file a report at the earliest.  

Highly placed officials said that they have been receiving complaints with regard to levying fee from the public as well as tourists.  They said that as per the Kanan Devan Hills Resumption Act, 1971, the public right is protected and the company has no right over the roads. Further the roads are now maintained by the concerned panchayats from the state fund. Moreover, they also have no right to sell the greenery to the tourists and above all the land is offered to them on lease for plantation purpose only.

It is alleged that the company was levying road user fee of Rs 50 and road maintenance fee of Rs 150. On the allegations, PWD secretary T O Sooraj told Express that an affidavit has been filed with the High Court in this regard. As per the KDH Act, the company does not have any right over the roads and the land has been given to them on lease for plantation purpose only, he said.

Public Interest Protection Association (PIPA) , on whose complaint the Government had now given the instructions, alleged that KDHP had erected check points in major tourist spots and roads.  PIPA Secretary V Mohan Kumar alleged that the road to Devikulam lake from Ciggerrete point, road to Mankulam side, Rajamally and to Pothenmedu were all blocked and fee was being levied. Though the authorities were intimated about this many times, they have not taken any action, he claimed. 

source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/262580/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/25-04-2014#page/4/1