KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss further proceedings on the Munambam Waqf land issue, following the Kerala High Court verdict upholding the state government’s decision to appoint an inquiry commission to resolve the dispute.
Law Minister P Rajeeve said the meeting will deliberate on the steps to be taken based on the recommendations of the Justice C N Ramachandran Nair Commission, which had submitted its report to the government in May. The report is understood to have examined the ownership status of the disputed land and the claims raised by the Waqf Board and local residents.
The meeting comes in the wake of the Kerala High Court division bench verdict that held the land in Munambam, where around 600 families — mostly from fishing communities — reside, is not Waqf property. The bench, comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Shyam Kumar V M, had on Friday upheld the validity of the state government’s order appointing the inquiry commission headed by former High Court judge Justice C N Ramachandran Nair.
The division bench ruling quashed an earlier single-bench judgment that had invalidated the government’s decision to form the commission, observing that the state lacked the authority to do so. The government later appealed the single-bench order, arguing that the commission was necessary to bring clarity and ensure a fair resolution to a long-standing and sensitive land dispute involving sections of the fishing community and the Waqf Board.
Rajeeve told reporters in Kochi that the division bench verdict has paved the way for the government to move forward with implementing the commission’s recommendations.
“The High Court has confirmed that the government has the authority to appoint the commission and act on its findings. The chief minister will hold discussions with departments concerned and officials on Monday to decide the next steps,” he said.
