Land utilization order: CPM up in arms; Government in tight spot
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Thodupuzha: Parties including CPM have put the state government in defensive mode after the latter issued an order barring owners of the pattayam land from constructing buildings there. CPM has convinced the chief minister not to delay a solution formula to solve the issue which is expected to affect the party badly.
The Idukki district committee assessed that the order may turn out to be a setback for the party in the Western Ghats region in particular and in the state at a whole. This assessment has been conveyed to the Chief Minister.
The controversial order is about legality of commercial buildings in the land granted under Land Regularisation Act of 1964 and special rules of 1993 to regularise forest encroachment.
CPM is worried about an impending protest as the Local Self Government department issued an appendix on 25th September to an order issued by Revenue Principal Secretary on 22nd August.
The party leaders have apprised the Chief Minister to take measures including a legal step. The party district committee has assessed that if any reluctance to solve the issue may result a huge loss to the party equivalent to that suffered by UDF.
Pattayams are given after recording that land is only for building house and agriculture purpose. New order stipulates that those lands which are used for other purposes can be acquired or can be leased.
Any construction is possible only after obtaining a no-objection from village officers. Decisions on NOCs are taken after considering pattayam of land, legality of pattayam and if such constructions are allowed in the land. However, the order, envisaged to stop the land encroachment and illegal construction in Munnar, bars all the constructions which contravene the Land Regularisation Act. According to the act, village officers cannot give permission to commercial buildings in pattayam lands. The order approves action against all the projects in contravention of Land Regularisation Act of 1964.
Even though CPM and CPI welcome the provision in the order to regularise the projects that are less than 1500 square feet in size in the lands under 15 cents, they are critical of other provisions, which they term ‘illogical’ and ‘impracticable’.
