CHENNAI: The State Cabinet on Friday decided to approach the High Court to take over the massive property leased out to the Horticultural Society, as the land was not being used for the purpose it was meant for.

The land, measuring 13 kani (one kani equals 1.32 acres) four grounds and 1,262 square feet, was taken over even earlier, in 1989, when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government came to power, and handed over to the Horticulture Department, a release issued after the Cabinet meeting said.

The Society approached the High Court, which ruled in its favour. The Government preferred an appeal. Even without the permission of the later AIADMK Government, the government advocate withdrew the appeal on December 21, 2004. A State Cabinet meeting on February 25, 2006, decided to give back the land to the Society. A Government Order was issued on March 3, 2006. With the Model Code of Conduct for the Assembly elections coming into force, this could not be done.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, also decided to revive Farmers Welfare Boards. They would implement social security and welfare measures for farmers. It decided to annul identity cards issued under the Tamil Nadu Farm workers social security and welfare scheme, 2001 (instituted by the DMK), and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Farmer's Protection Scheme, 2005 (of the AIADMK Government).

A committee will be formed in each village with Health Workers, Village Administrative Officers and headmasters as its members to enumerate small and marginal farmers who had an acre of `wet' land or two acres of `dry' land. The farmers would be issued fresh identity cards.

Mr. Karunanidhi said it was not necessary to affix the picture of the Chief Minister on the cards. No fee would be charged from farmers for the exercise. A district-level committee would also be established to monitor progress of the scheme, with the District Collector as convener.

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