THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the lockout at over a dozen estates and the distress among the plantation workers due to the ensuing widespread lay-offs, the government has failed to invoke the Land Reforms Act to take back these properties. Though the Tea Board tried to take over the estates, the efforts in this regard came a cropper after the estate owners moved the court and obtained a stay.More than 10,000 acre of plantation land had been lying idle or fallow for several decades. The plantation owners have said there is no way to avoid the lockout owing to the massive losses arising out of the high production cost, lack of labourers and low price of the product.
Nonetheless, they have been opposing the Tea Board’s move to take over the estates. The Bonami estate is a case in point as the Tea Board had thrice tried to take over the estate. However, it has been dragged to court and the takeover move was stalled. Some of the estates which have declared a lockout, include Brymore (800 acre), Hope (about 2,250 acre), Bonami and Kottamala ( which add upto around 3,000 acre). Highly- placed officers said if the owners cannot afford to maintain the plantations, then they ought to let others like the Tea Board take possession of the estate.
Significantly, it is not for cultivation but rather to make a profit by fragmenting and selling the property the plantation owners are opposing the takeover. They said it is with an eye on the juicy real estate the efforts are being stymied.It has been estimated on an average 10,000 acre of plantations in each district where there are plantations have been sold in various capacities. Under the Kerala Land Reforms Act, if the exempted land is not used for the purpose given, the exemption will be cancelled and the land becomes surplus. Moreover, the Act says when the plantations are fragmented with a view to alienate, the protection vanishes and the holder will have to surrender the excess land. Though all these provisions are clearly specified in the Kerala Land Reforms Act, the government is facing a major hurdle in taking back the lands.
Successive governments which ruled the state have been accused of dragging their feet in this regard.
The officers also revealed most of the time the plantation owners approached the court against moves to take over the land and the cases will drag on for years. It is the Taluk Land Boards (TLB) which have to declare surplus land if the Act has been violated. However, the process in all the TLBs has been held up for unknown reasons, they said. The government has now come up with a draft legislation on land holdings, which proposes the takeover of plantations whose lease period has expired and to take back all lands which have been encroached upon. Apart from this, the government is planning a register of all lands which have been granted exemption in the state.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister E Chandrashekaran said a decision on taking back land belonging to the estates which had declared a lockout cannot be taken by the Revenue Department alone. “A decision regarding the land could be taken by the Revenue Department. But since the plantation sector involves various other departments such as the Labour Department, a decision has to be taken in consultation with all the departments concerned,’’ he said. Moreover, the trade unions had to be made party to the talks.