Kerala - Alappuzha   

Distribution of land to tribal people to be completed soon: Rajendran

Staff Reporter

Pattayamela held in Alappuzha Land identified for the purpose: Minister

ALAPPUZHA: The State Government will complete distribution of land to landless tribal people in the State without delay, and it has identified land for the purpose, Minister for Revenue K.P. Rajendran has said.

Inaugurating a district-level `Pattayamela-2007' of the Government at Cherthala Devaswom Ground on Tuesday, Mr. Rajendran said there were 22,000 tribal families in the State without a piece of land of their own. The Government's aim was to provide an acre of land to each of them.

He said the Government had given possession certificates to 14,000 of the 19,500 tribal families living in Adivasi settlement colonies. It was because of the complications in union laws regarding tribal people that the Government was finding it difficult to give title deeds to the landless among them. The Government was now providing possession certificates instead, he said.

Mr. Rajendran said the Government would soon form wetland management and information systems to effectively utilise the water resources of the state. The Government would enact legislation for the purpose and amend the laws, he said.

Mr. Rajendran promised strong action to prevent encroachment of water bodies and control mining of river sand.

He said the land reform laws enacted years ago had not achieved its aim. As many as 28,000 hectares of land identified as excess was yet to be confiscated. Cases existing in various courts were the main impediment to it.

The Minister said the present Government had completed steps for the distribution of 1,269 hectares of excess land to landless agricultural labourers after it assumed power. As many as 20,000 poor families in the State would get the benefit of it, he said.

K.S. Manoj, MP, presided. P. Thilothaman and A.M. Arif, MLAs, and district panchayat president R. Nazar offered felicitation.

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