Harrisons Malayalam Limited (HML), on Monday, submitted before a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that it is willing to surrender 834.53 acres of excess land spread over Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, and Kollam to the State government.
The Bench comprising Justice M. Sasidharan Nambiar and Justice P. Bhavadasan directed HML to produce the original documents pertaining to the cases pending before the Kottayam Land Tribunal.
The actual extent of land held by the company in Kerala was 59,623 acres, including 12,675 acres in Wayanad, the counsel for the company told the court. The original of the property deed registered with the Kollam Sub-Registrar office, along with the photocopies of its Malayalam version, were produced before the Registry of the High Court as directed by the court, for verification.
The court adjourned to August 9 the hearing in the case after allowing the State government to submit additional documents in this regard. The Bench had directed the company last week to file a statement regarding excess land on a petition filed by the State government and in view of the differences between the Malayalam version of the deed and its English translation.
The State government sought to declare that the large tracts of land held by Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. were liable to be forfeited under the Kerala Escheat and Forfeiture Act and protected as government land.
