6,037 tribal families in state to get land

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its 100-day programme envisaged on the lines of the UPA Government’s similar flick,  the State Government decided to grant land to 6,037 tribal families across the state.Announcing the decision after the District Collectors’ conference which was held here on Thursday,  Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that the land would be given to the tribal families under the Forest Rights Act.  He said that land would be given within six months to 943 tribal families who lost their land completely and to 1,269 families who lost their land partially. He said that the government would hold talks with the agitators at Moolampally.  “The discussions will be held with an open mind to rectify the anomalies in the package announced for them earlier,”  Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said.  He said that the government delegation would visit Moolampally on  May 31 which would be followed by talks with the agitators on June 7 at a meeting to be chaired by the Chief Minister.Earlier, in his opening speech, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy asked the District Collectors to be transparent while acquiring land for developmental projects so that issues like that of Moolampally do not occur.  He said that forceful land acquisition was not the government’s policy. The Revenue Minister said that certain issues had come up related to the implementation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act which would be rectified after discussions with the groups concerned.He said that the government would also hold talks with the Chengara agitators. “Two major issues need to be settled with regard to the Chengara agitation. One is  rehabilitation of the families who are continuing their agitation at Chengara and to other is to find a solution to those families from Chengara who allege that the land given to them was uninhabiltiable and non-cultivable”, the minister said.The meeting decided to hand over the land for the Central University at Kasargod at the earliest and also immediately implement the housing scheme for the residents of Bangladesh Colony at Kozhikode. The government will work out alternatives in order to find a solution to the shortage of river sand. “The government has decided to conduct survey in six major rivers in the state by availing of the services of local engineering colleges,” the minister said.