Probe land deals by religious organisations as directed by High Court: Balan

The government should take immediate and appropriate measures to inquire into the land deals by religious organisations and landlords in the State, as directed by the Kerala High Court in its order on Thursday, former Law Minister A.K. Balan has said.

The Kerala High Court, while looking into a case filed by George Alencherry, Major Archbishop, Syro-Malabar Church, on Thursday directed the State government to investigate, utilising its agencies such as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, the land grab and encroachment of public properties by various religious and charitable organisations.

The court in its observation, maintained that poramboke land and government properties were largely vulnerable to massive and organised encroachment and that there were no provisions for the accounting of the assets amassed and utilised  by many so-called religious or charitable organisations. 

Survey on encroachments

The court has directed the government to complete a survey on land encroachments in the State, under the supervision of a high-powered body within the next six months .

Mr. Balan, hailing the High Court directive, said in a statement issued in Thiruvananthapuram that identification and distribution of excess land in Kerala had been upended often. Illegal possession of land by claiming it as plantation or holding of land even after the lease period had expired was rampant. He said that according to a note given by the former Crime Branch Inspector General of Police S. Sreejith approximately five lakh acres of land in Kerala was under such illegal possession. The fact that land grab continued to be rampant had been endorsed by the former Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Nivedita P. Haran and by Marykkutty, the former District Collector of Palakkad, in their reports.

Land reforms

He said that there were innumerable families belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes or backward class communities in Kerala who did not have even an iota of land. In a State which had passed the Land Reforms Act, this state of affairs should be seen seriously.

Mr. Balan pointed out that in taking up follow-up measures on the basis of the High Court order, the government would have to surmount several legal and technical challenges. However, the government should persevere and complete the survey on land encroachments under the supervision of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, as directed by the High Court, Mr. Balan reiterated.