Proposed title deed curbs spark anger at Ten Chain

Govt plans to issue deeds only to those in ‘seven chain’ area

Congress supporters stage a dharna in front of the KSEB major section office at Kattappana on Saturday in protest against the restrictions placed on title deed issuance in Idukki.

Farmers’ organisations and political parties have come out against the government move to impose restrictions on issuance of title deeds to farmers in the Ten Chain area here.

United Democratic Front (UDF) district convener S. Ashokan on Saturday said that any move to limit title deeds issuance to those living in the ‘seven chain’ area (1 chain equals 20 metres) would deprive a large number of farmers of their rights over land.

The Ten Chain area (a distance of 10 chains from the reservoir level) was earmarked to be evicted under the Idukki dam project. The KSEB later decided against land acquisition, saying that the project would cause no harm to the area. The residents of the region are yet to be issued title deeds.

Mr. Ashokan said the UDF government had taken steps to resurvey land and to issue title deeds to all the deserving in the area. The KSEB’s consent was required to provide title deeds.

Electricity Minister M.M. Mani recently said that the government intended to give title deed to the farmers residing in the ‘seven chain’ limit in the first phase.

Dharna staged

Kerala Congress (M) district committee on Saturday held a march and a dharna to the land assignment office at Kattappana demanding that title deeds be issued to all the farmers in the Ten Chain area.

Inaugurating the dharna, Roshy Augustine, MLA, said the move to limit title deed issuance would be detrimental to many farmers.

The High Range Protection Council, an umbrella organisation of the church for protecting farmers’ rights, will intensify its agitation demanding issuance of title deeds to all eligible farmers.

Hartal call

Farmers’ organisations have called for a hartal in the grama panchayats of Ayyappancoil, Upputhara, and Erattayar on Tuesday.

While the Karshaka Raksha Samithy has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the three panchayats, the Erattayar Samara Samithy has called for a hartal in Erattayar grama panchayat.