Govt gears up for land resumption, again

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government, which had received a legal setback in 2007 while trying to resume the

land

where Theerthapada Mandapam is situated (

Pathrakulam

land), is gearing up again, possibly plugging all loopholes.

A government order to resume the land assigned to Sree Vidyadhiraja Sabha was cancelled by high court. The court had observed that the order was issued without taking into account relevant factors. It further observed that the order had been issued 31 years after the assignment was granted in favour of the sabha and therefore, dispossession could not have been done in such a ‘casual manner’.

In its second attempt, the government first conducted a hearing of the trust representatives and sought views from officials with land revenue commissionerate and district collectorate in 2018. During the hearing, the trust counsel warned the government that any move to resume the land would only complicate matters. He cited the HC order of 2017 that said since the matter was pending before the Supreme Court, any stand taken by the competent authorities would adhere in future to the judgment of the apex court. The counsel further denied the contention that the sabha had illegally filled up Pathrakulam and did not pay the entire amount for the assignment of the land .

The government took one year to come up with the latest order after collecting valid information from revenue officials. The recent order, which directs district collector to resume the land and use it for public purposes like flood mitigation at East Fort, cites relevant sections under land assignment rules and vigilance report against former chief secretary and founder and patron of the sabha, R Ramachandran Nair.

The order also cites the vigilance report submitted in 1997 following a complaint filed by citizen protection forum president M Krishnan Nair. The report had directed civil criminal proceedings against encroachers and that compensation may be levied from them.

Meanwhile, Ramachandran Nair said they had already proved that the government's arguments do not stand. “We measured the land twice and it was below 65 cents so where is the case of encroachment. On levelling of land, how can one apply a law that became effective in 2007 to a matter that happened three decades ago,” he asked.