Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

1,717 tribal families to get land in Aralam farm

Thiruvananthapuram: Land distribution to landless tribals will enter a new phase with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurating the Aralam scheme on September 22. It will benefit 1,717 families.

Addressing a press conference here, Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran and Schedule Castes and Tribes Welfare Minister T.K. Balan said that these families, living in Aralam farm, would be given one acre each.

The State Government had purchased 3,060 hectares of Aralam farm from the Centre for Rs. 42.09 crore. It has been decided to distribute 1,530 hectares to tribal people and retain the rest as farm. As part of this scheme, 859 landless families were short-listed and 751 persons were given possession certificates.

After a series of agitations and court cases, problems pertaining to redistribution of land were settled.

This March, 1,717 beneficiaries were selected after scrutiny by the tribal Oorukoottam. The Government would construct houses for the beneficiaries at a cost of Rs. 1 lakh each. In the interim period, the Government would release Rs. 3,000 each to the families to put up huts till the house construction is over, Mr. Balan said.

The Government would also take steps to educate tribal children, besides ensuring supply of electricity and drinking water. The profits from the Aralam farm would be utilised for the welfare of tribal families. Mr. Rajendran said that according to 2006-07 figures, 25,000 out of the 80,000 tribal families did not have house and 17,529 families did not have land. Out of the 4,082 tribal colonies, 3,017 did not have drinking water and 2,043 did not have electricity.

After the LDF came to power, possession certificates for 3238.59 acres of land had been issued and title deeds given to 302 families covering 129.79 acres.

The Government had identified 19,000 acres of land for rehabilitation, but redistribution had been stalled owing to a Supreme Court case.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Call to shelve Sethusamudram
1,717 tribal families to get land in Aralam farm
Chandy leaves for the U.S.
Chennithala’s action kicks up a row
Job for dependents of Panniar victims
Building permits cancelled
Question hour suspended
Law to prevent dumping of waste in public places
No holiday
Curbs on diverting road funds
Bee-keeping on the revival path
Murali: VS has lost right to pursue case
Science Congress in January
Community health centres to be upgraded
Bottling plant planned in Aruvikkara
Farmers can ‘Net’ help
Peroorkada hospital to be upgraded
Ire against N-deal at seminar
‘He is the patient, but I am the sufferer’

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu