Kerala govt approves amendment to Land Assignment Act to resolve disputes in hilly regions

Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment to the decades-old Land Assignment Act, meeting a long-pending demand of people living in the state's high ranges to resolve various land-related issues.

Announcing the decision at a press conference here, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said land disputes had been a serious concern in hilly regions and resolving them was one of the prime objectives of the LDF government.

He recalled that since the government assumed office in 2016, a series of interventions had been made to address the issue, paving the way for the landmark amendment.

A cabinet meeting held here approved the amendments to the Act, Vijayan said.

The chief minister explained that the original Land Assignment Act, 1960, allowed land titles to be granted for agriculture, housing, neighbourhood amenities, and shop sites. However, many beneficiaries later diverted land for other uses or transferred ownership, creating "legal complications."

"The construction of buildings and ownership transfers inconsistent with land title provisions caused severe difficulties for many people," Vijayan said. Courts had also intervened in several cases, imposing strict regulations, he noted.

In this context, the government introduced an amendment, which was passed by the Legislative Assembly on September 14, 2023, ending the six-and-a-half-decade wait of settlers, he said.

"With this, land used for other purposes becomes legal," Vijayan said, adding that the amendment regularises such use up to June 7, 2024 the date the law came into force and grants conditional permission for non-specified purposes.

The amendment simplifies the regularisation process by exempting many categories from fee and applying relatively low rates where charges remain. Small and medium businesses, he said, would be spared complex procedures.

"This underlines the state government's commitment to people living in the hill regions. Now the Bill will be examined by the subject committee," Vijayan further said.

He added that the move fulfils yet another promise made in the LDF's 2021 election manifesto and was brought forward after consultations with various stakeholders "in a completely democratic manner."

However, the opposition Congress-led UDF questioned the Left government's claims regarding the amendments and said it would only make the land issue more complicated.

Addressing reporters in Kochi, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said there is no indication in the amended Act as to whether constructions in the areas in future would be regularised.

"The government is only complicating the issue again. That is why the UDF is demanding a review (of the amendments)," Satheesan added.