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Friday, Jul 27, 2007
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Walkout over decision on title deeds

Special Correspondent

K.P. Rajendran asserts that evictions will continue in Munnar.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition walked out of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday protesting against “the Government’s decision to regularise the Raveendran title deeds, which, in effect, will spell the death of the eviction drive in Munnar.”

K.C. Venugopal of the Congress brought up the issue through a submission on Wednesday’s Cabinet decision regularising all title deeds given as decided by the Land Assignment Committees. He said this was to save the buildings illegally built by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India in Munnar.

The decision would, in effect, make no evictions possible on encroached Munnar land in the hands of powerful vested interests. Mr. Venugopal said, “The true colour of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan’s much-flaunted idealism was on full display in this funny decision.”

In reply, Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran said there need be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Government would continue with the evictions. Encroachments in Munnar fell under different categories, inviting instant evictions under various Acts.

Land in possession through formal assignment under the Land Assignment Rules was proper, he said, indicating that the Government would not evict those holding “Raveendran title deeds” in Munnar, among them the two communist parties.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said the Minister’s reply was a “shame.” He said land could be assigned under the Land Assignment Rules only for building a house or cultivation. If this was violated, Section 3 of the Land Assignment Act stipulated instant evictions. He asked if those holding “Raveendran title deeds” in Munnar had done no violations.

Speaker K. Radhakrishnan pressed Mr. Chandy to cut short his speech citing the long agenda before the House.

This sparked a discussion on the Opposition’s “attitude,” with Mr. Chandy narrating several recent instances of the Opposition “going out of the way to cooperate with the Government.” The discussion ended in a walkout.

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