KOTTAYAM: Making the LDF Government’s stance clear on land-related issues in Idukki, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said settler farmers in the district would be protected, while encroachers would be mercilessly evicted from government lands. He was speaking after inaugurating a programme to distribute title deeds at the St George Church parish hall in Kattapana.
“The government is committed to distributing title deeds to deserving people of the state in two years. The government is willing to provide the deeds to deserving farmers and is of the view that settlers who braved all odds to earn bread in the initial days should be given special consideration,” Pinarayi said.
“The history of settlements in Idukki began by 1750. People settled here for various reasons. The government, despite deliberate attempts by some to treat them as encroachers, does not consider that,” he said. He said people who encroached upon lands were trying to divert attention by saying the settler farmers were in grave crisis.
“Their real intention is to use the farmers as shield. But such attempts will not yield results. Settlements and encroachments will not be judged similarly,” Pinarayi said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said the government was moving ahead with a plan to provide title deeds to all applicants who settled in Idukki before January 1, 1977, in two years. He was in the district to distribute title deeds to settlers.
“We planned to distribute 10,000 deeds on Sunday. But, only 5,521 deeds could be distributed as procedures could not be completed at the desired pace. We will complete the distribution of the remaining deeds in a time-bound manner. We have already assigned an additional secretary for this and the Revenue Minister will personally oversee the progress,” he said.
Pinarayi said the government was distributing unconditional deeds, in which the lock-in period for land transfer was reduced from 25 years to 12 years and the title deed holders will have the right to pledge it for financial needs too. “We are seriously considering steps to remove a clause which prevents chopping of trees in the deed land. It will be implemented with retrospective effects,” he said.
On the issues in Munnar, he said the place, which had immense tourism potential, was a national asset and its peculiarities would be protected without affecting the genuine settlers.“At the same time, all the encroachments will be evicted from Munnar. Strict action will be taken against those who head there with commercial interests. However, people who constructed a house for a living will not be evicted,” he said.
Pinarayi said a project to provide houses to plantation labourers was under the government’s consideration and would be implemented with the support of plantation owners.
Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan presided over the function. Ministers M M Mani and K Raju, Joice George MP, MLAs E S Bijimol, S Rajendran and Roshy Augustine spoke.