Govt forms project distributing land to 20,000 families

Pathanamthitta, Feb 13 (UNI) Kerala Revenue Minister K P Rajendran today said the government had formulated a comprehensive project aimed at distributing surplus land to 20,000 families in the State.

Inaugurating a function at the Collectorate here, he said 3,000 acre surplus land had been identified and would be distributed to the landless by May, to mark the first anniversary of LDF rule.

Stating that a total of 22,500 tribal families were identified as landless, he said the government had decided to provide land to all Adivasis in the state, adding that the Scheduled Caste department was planning to build houses for all tribal families and land would be allocated to 5,000 families by May.

Mr Rajendran admitted that the government could not take possession of 71,000 acre surplus land due to legal tangles.

Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas, who distributed possession certificates, said the Government was keen on removing hurdles on the way of surplus land distribution.

UNI