Kerala   

Joseph calls for review of land use

KOTTAYAM: Kerala Congress (J) chairman P.J. Joseph has called for immediate steps to review the existing rules and regulations governing land assignment in the State.

Mr. Joseph expressed his and his party’s views in the latest issue of the fortnightly journal Sabdamillathavarude Sabdom (Voice of the Voiceless) edited by him.

The present rules which govern land assignment have become obsolete, says Mr. Joseph in his editorial piece.

As per the Land Assignment Rules of 1964, assignment of land has been restricted to two uses — for building houses and for agriculture purposes.

In addition, land can be assigned for Government purpose or public cause through a Cabinet decision. However, land assigned under this provision is less than one per cent of the whole land assigned so far, he pointes out.

“If land use other than that mentioned in the assignment documents were viewed as illegal, it will result in a very complex situation,” he says.

“Unless the rules and regulations were not subjected to timely review, everyone will be stamped as lawbreaker,” Mr Joseph said and pointed out that the Revenue Minister had declared on the floor of the House that the Land Assignment rules would be amended.

The commercial and industrial development of the State has resulted in new patterns in land use, he said.

Though the state was on the threshold of a quantum jump in the area of development, existing land assignment rules have become a bottleneck.

Mr. Joseph called for a land use pattern that will neither hinder the State’s development needs nor destroy its ecological or social balance.

The stress on tourism industry as the catalyst for Kerala’s economic growth has necessitated an immediate review of the land assignment rules, he says.

Infrastructure development can no longer be confined to urban areas, as it has become necessary to provide facilities for the tourists in rural and coastal areas as also in hill stations and in forests, especially if we are to focus on eco-tourism, he said.

In addition, we have to provide land to meet the increasing needs in the education sector for construction of school and college campuses, setting up of IT parks, resorts, and commercial and industrial units, he says.

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