The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Steps being taken to resolve tribal land issue

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Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Steps being taken to resolve tribal land issue

Special Correspondent

Meeting decided to identify land for distribution

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government has decided to take full advantage of the 2006 Central Act on tribal rights to resolve the tribal land issue in the State.

The Ministers for Forest, Revenue and Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities convened a meeting of top Government officials here on Tuesday to chart out a plan of action for this.

The meeting decided to identify all stretches of land that would qualify, under the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Right) Act of 2006, for assignment to landless tribal families. "By the time the Centre formulates the rules pertaining to the Act, we will be ready to distribute the land," Minister for Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities A.K. Balan said.

At a press conference, he said nearly 22,000 tribal families in the State had no land at all. Another 33,000 tribal families had only small bits of land.

Grant of right

The Government's intention was to give rights over one acre (0.4 hectare) of cultivable land to each of these families. Mr. Balan said the Government would identify the land and all the deserving families by the time the Centre framed the rules.

Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran and Forest Minister Benoy Viswom, who too attended the press conference, said their departments would conduct a joint survey in various districts immediately to demarcate the land that could be distributed to tribal families. A high power committee headed by the Chief Secretary would coordinate the work.

Mr. Balan said more than 1,000 hectares of land at Aralam Farm in Kannur district would be distributed to tribal families on April 10. An extent of nearly 140 hectares of land was available at Alakkode, also in Kannur district, for distribution. The beneficiary families for the Alakkode land were being selected at tribal `oorukoottams' (community meetings) in the area, he added.

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