The decades-long protest by the farmers in Konni seeking title deeds to the land they cultivate is likely to end soon. The State government is expediting the issuance of documents to about 6,000 farmers in the region.
A decision to this effect was arrived at a meeting on Thursday, attended by the Revenue and Forest Ministers, besides District Collector Divya S. Iyer and Chief Forest Conservator R.S. Arun. The meeting, held in Thiruvananthapuram, was convened on a request forwarded by Konni legislator K.U. Janeesh Kumar.
According to the MLA, farmers in villages such as Thannithodu, Chittar, Konni Thazham, Aruvapulam, and Kalanjoor are eligible for title deeds. Those possessing land in locations classified as ‘food production areas’ will be allotted title deeds under the Land Registration Act, 1964, while those who have acquired forestland before January 1, 1977, will be given the document under a special rule of 1993.
Land for afforestation
The authorities have also identified 8,000 acres of land at Kambakallu, Idukki, which forms part of the Neelakurinji sanctuary, for compensatory afforestation in lieu of the land to be allotted here.
“To complete the steps before issuing the title deeds, the Ministers will visiting the national capital after the ongoing Assembly session. The meeting further decided to appoint the District Collector and the forest conservators for initiating the remaining works,” the MLA said.
The farmers living in the forest fringes of Konni have been on a war path over the issue since the 1980s. Though the previous government had distributed 40 title deeds during a ‘pattaya mela’ in 2016, they were cancelled later in the absence of approval from the Forest Department.
Unconditional
Subsequently, the government began proceedings for the unconditional distribution of these documents and approached the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for approval. A special office was opened in Seethathodu for the purpose and a joint verification of the Forest and Revenue Departments too was carried out.
The report prepared by the Pathanamthitta District Collector in association with the forest division officers in Ranni and Konni was then submitted to the Union government with the approval of the State Cabinet.
