In a relief to
settlers in highland areas, the Congress - led UDF Government in Kerala has
decided to waive restrictions on transaction of farmland held by them as part
of the condition for issuing title deeds..
A meeting of the
state cabinet yesterday decided to take away the restrictive provision in this
regard by amending the rules under the Kerala Land Assignment Act.
Speaking to reporters
after a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Mr. K. C Joseph said the ceiling
set on such land held by each title holder would also be increased to 4 (four)
acres from the present 1 (one) acre.
Scores of settler
farmers holding lands in upland areas such as Idukki and Wayanad and other high
range areas prior to January 1, 1977, which was earlier set as the cut-off date
for assigning title deeds, would benefit from the decision. The first phase of
issuing title deeds would begin at Idukki later this December (2013) month, the
minister said.
Significantly, the
settler farmers in the highland areas had been on warpath in recent times
against the Centre's move to implement the Kasturirangan report on the Western
Ghats conservation, which imposed severe restrictions on land use in the
ecologically sensitive areas.
The decision was
shelved last week, apparently under pressure from states such as Kerala.
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