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

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

Kerala Resumes Excess Estate Land for medical campus

Despite all pressures from various quarters for giving compensation to the land acquired for setting up the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences (SCTIMST ) at Wayanad, the government has ordered to resume 75 acres of land in Mananthwadi without shelling out a single paise. Earlier there was a move to pay compensation of about 20 to 25 crores for the land that was to be acquired, which the Express had exposed a few months back.

In the order, which is in possession of Express, it says that the lessee M/s Glen Leven Estate in Mananthwadi is not entitled for the value of the land as the jenmom right is vested with the government. However, it says that the lessee is entitled only for the value of improvements/structures it had done in the said land.

''The Wayanad district collector is accordingly directed to acquire 75 acres of land from M/s Glen leven estate for the establishment of the campus of Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences in Wayanad,'' the order dated August 19 said.

There was much pressure on the government to giving compensation for the land. Even the Advocate General had in his legal opinion favoured compensation to the estate owners. The Express had exposed the move with the Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan taking up the issue.

The property that has to be resumed was originally leased out for 99 years in 1941 to V V Joseph and others. After that the dependents of Joseph sold the lease hold right to M/s Glen leven estate.

The decision is said to be a revolutionary one, making it clear that all lease lands are vested with the government. Moreover, the government can now resume all excess land that is now in the illegal possession. 

Source:  The Newindian Express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/330249/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/01-09-2014#page/4/1

 

Land for Sree Chitra Institute caught in compensation issue

The proposal to set up a centre of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Wayanad has met with a roadblock with the Revenue Department coming out against the move to grant compensation to the owners of the Glen Leven Estate citing that it was actually government land.
The 75 acres of land to be acquired that comes under exempted category is controlled land for which the revenue department says that no compensation need to be given. It is learned that a compensation of about 20 to 25 crores is proposed to be given to the land owners. ''There is no need to give compensation to exempted land when it is acquired,'' highly places sources said.

The report of the Revenue Divisional Office, Manandavadi dated November 30, 2012, says that an extent of 64.93 acres belonging to Glen Level estates is declared as excess land by the Taluk Land Board. Once declared as excess land, it has to be surrendered to the government free of cost. There is no provision to give compensation to excess land under the land acquisition Act, they said.

source: the newindian express

read more: http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/170041/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/09-10-2013#page/4/1 

Job Scam: Wayanad collector suspended

Wayanad District Collector T Bhaskaran has been suspended from the service in connection with the Public Service Commission Job scam.

The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held today.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said Wayanad collector was removed from his job on the basis of Land Revenue Commissioner K R Muraleedharan`s report that stated that there was failure on the part of the collector.

A team under crime Branch ADGP Vincent M Paul would be constituted to investigate into the job scam, he said. The Vigilance department would probe corruption and scams related to the employees. More ... http://keralz.com/news/kerala/2010/dec/dec3.html