Ending a wait that lasted several decades, the authorities have finally kick-started the process to issue title deeds to the thousands of families settled in the hilly terrains of Pathanamthitta.
As part of it, a central team led by B. N. Anjankumarm, Assistant Inspector General at the Bengaluru regional office of the Ministry of Forest and Environment, visited the district a few days ago. The team visited several villages in the Ranni and Konni regions including Chittar, Seethathodu, Thannithode, Konni, Aruvappulam and Kalnajoor .
Following the field inspection, the central team also held discussions with the District Collector Divya.S.Iyer.
The team is expected to submit its field inspection report later this month.
Official sources said over 6,000 farmers in the region would benefit from the scheme. The farmers have been up in arms over the delay in issuing title deeds to their property.
Inspection
Recently, the State government approached the central government seeking steps inspect the location for giving title deeds to the farmers settled here.
Though the State government had distributed 40 title deeds in 2016, they were cancelled later in the absence of a nod by the Forest Department. Following this, the State government kick started the proceedings for issuing new title deeds and completed a joint verification by the Forest and Revenue departments.
The reports prepared by the Pathanamthitta District Collector, and the Forest Division Officers in Ranni and Konni was later submitted to the Union government with the State cabinet’s approval..
Those possessing land in locations classified as Food Production Areas will be allotted title deeds under the Land Registration Act, 1964 while and those who have acquired forest land before January 1, 1977, will be given the document under a special rule of 1993.
Meanwhile, the authorities have also identified 8,000-acres of land at Kambakallu in Idukki, which forms part of the Neelakurinji sanctuary, for carrying out the compensatory afforestation in lieu of the land to be allotted in Konni.
