Curation Team
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State cabinet on Wednesday cleared the rules for implementing Kerala Land Assignment (Amendment) Act, a move that will allow regularisation of pattayam land where conditions were violated and permit alternative uses under regulation. The decision marks the next stage in a process that began with the passage of the amendment in the assembly last year.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the measure was aimed at resolving long-pending issues in the high ranges. “One of the major objectives of this govt since 2016 has been to address land-related problems of people in the high ranges. The amendment is the outcome of continuous interventions and brings to end a wait of over six decades,” he said.
The assembly passed Kerala Land Assignment (Amendment) Bill on Sept 14, 2023, and received governor’s assent on April 27, 2024. It was formally notified in June that year. With the new rules, govt is seeking to regularise land use changes that occurred until June 7, 2024, and to create a pathway for future permissions.
The amendment was drafted after broad consultations, Vijayan said. “This was not an unilateral move. Political parties, community and religious leaders, environmental activists, media representatives and legal experts were part of discussions. Assembly passed the bill unanimously,” he said.
Govt is introducing two sets of rules under the Act, he explained. The first, which has now been approved, deals with regularising past deviations in pattaya land use. The second, which will be taken up later, will lay down conditions for permitting new uses beyond agriculture and housing, particularly for livelihood purposes.
The rules were framed after careful consideration of judicial interventions, he said. “High court’s directions were examined in detail with the participation of advocate general, ministers from revenue, industries and finance departments, chief secretary and senior officials. Only after multiple rounds of discussions were the final provisions put together,” Vijayan said.
Govt decided that applications for regularisation would be handled through an online portal, with one year’s time for submission. Depending on the nature of land use, cases will either be exempt from fees or charged at rates linked to the fair value of land. Houses built for self-occupation, charitable and cultural institutions and certain other categories will be exempt, while larger commercial or industrial uses will attract graded fees.
The rules were not intended to provide a blanket sanction for future violations, Vijayan clarified. “Only past deviations will be regularised. Henceforth, pattayam land cannot be diverted for other purposes without prior approval. The idea is to offer relief to those already caught in legal and procedural complications, not to open the door for indiscriminate use,” he said.
The rules stipulate that applications be processed within 90 days, failing which they will be deemed approved. Govt retains power to review or withdraw orders if violations are found or if public interest demands so.
