Thoothukudi Collector M. Ravikumar has informed the Madras High Court Bench here of having passed orders on August 4 cancelling assignment of 147.60 hectares of land in Vaippar village in Vilathikulam taluk for cultivation purpose to 185 people between 1986 and 1996.
In a counter affidavit filed in response to a public interest litigation petition, the Collector said the assignments had been cancelled on the ground that the beneficiaries had not complied with the condition of cultivating the lands within three years of the properties being assigned to them.
“Totally 76.79 hectares of land still remains dry without any cultivation and other assigned lands are used for commercial purposes such as salt pans, shrimp farm and mines. Out of the 185 cases of total land assignment, sale deed had been executed within 10 years in 66 cases and after 10 years in 119 cases.
“All the first assignees sold the lands without getting any permission from the appropriate authority. Thus, all the conditions of assignment were violated. Further, the persons who got the lands from the original land assignee are wealthy industrialists who are not eligible to get assigned lands,” the Collector said.
Stating that the assignments were cancelled only after issuing notices to the assignees, he said the notices were served on 155 of them and pasted on the fields with respect to the others. He also said the Revenue Divisional Officer had recommended cancellation of the assignments.
