Kerala Revenue Minister says State aims to ensure title deed for all eligible individuals

Kerala Revenue Minister A. P. Anil Kumar has said the government’s objective is to ensure that every eligible individual receives a title deed (pattayam).

Speaking at a high-level meeting held at the Kollam Collectorate on Friday, the Minister said about 5,000 title deeds will be distributed across the State as part of the UDF government’s 100-day action plan. This distribution drive will also include 569 title deeds designated specifically for beneficiaries within Kollam district. He urged revenue offices to adopt a public-friendly approach to ensure smoother delivery of services.

Land-related grievances in Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and coastal areas will be resolved on a priority basis. To streamline operations, the government plans to update and modernise outdated revenue laws. In Kollam district, 25,000 pending applications will be cleared, which includes 4,589 applications for land conversion, he said.

The Minister also directed officials to settle land ownership applications from Edamulakkal Kombattimala and Karunagappally in a time-bound manner. Immediate measures have also been taken to secure title deeds for residents living near the Muttathukadavu bridge in Pathanapuram.

Mr Anil Kumar said that efforts were also underway to secure Central government clearance for distributing title deeds in forest areas. In Paravur village, procedures to distribute deeds in the Malakayal region will be expedited by correcting discrepancies in railway land records. While 1,259 tsunami flat title deeds have already been distributed to beneficiaries, the remaining 44 coastal families will receive their title deeds without further delay. Additionally, 196 illegal encroachments have been evicted in the district, and directives have been issued to speed up the ongoing digital re-survey activities.

At the meeting, the Minister also instructed officials to fast-track administrative procedures for several key infrastructure projects. These include the construction of the Paravur Municipality town hall-cum-shopping complex, the Thevalakkara electricity substation, drainage systems to resolve waterlogging issues in Asramam, and the Thirumullavaram oceanarium. Furthermore, major construction works — such as the Karunagappally-Sasthamkotta railway overbridge, the Vadi-Tangasseri road, the Mundakkal-Kachikkadavu bridge, and the Kappil-Azeekal coastal highway — are set to begin shortly.