The government plans to issue 15,000 more title deeds in Idukki district within a year, Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan has said.
Inaugurating the distribution of title deeds here on Saturday, the Minister said nearly 50% of the people residing in the district were still to get title deeds.
“The government has issued title deeds after considering various issues and verifying the files,” he said, adding that the land and income limits for issuing the title deed were taken away by the LDF government.
As per an estimate of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, 28,500 hectares of forestland in the State was occupied by farmers, the majority of such areas in Idukki district.
The decision to issue title deeds in the Ten Chain (one chain is equal to 22 yards or 66ft) areas of the Idukki dam was a major step of the government. The government would consider issuing title deeds in the Three Chain area in the next phase, he added. Though the land in the Ten Chain area was under the Revenue Department, the controlling authority was the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The government alone could not take a decision to issue title deeds there and the KSEB’s ratification of rules relaxing the control over it was required, he added.
He said the ‘pattayamela’ being held simultaneously being held at Erattayar, Kumily and Adimaly was expected to provide relief to people.
Presiding over the function, Electricity Minister M.M. Mani said he had participated in many agitations for ensuring the rights of farmers over the land. Many of those who had participated in the agitations were no more but the demand for rights over the land still remained unfulfilled. There was no division on religious or political grounds on the demand for achieving the rights of farmers, he added.
Joice George, MP, delivered the keynote address. District Collector G.R.Gokul welcomed the audience.
UDF workers abstained from the function saying that the title deeds were being issued with riders.
