Minister inaugurates Pattaya mela

Palakkad, Feb 24 (UNI) The Left Democratic Front government in Kerala would give land to the landless within five years, Revenue Minister K P Rajendran said today.

Inaugurating the 'Pattaya Mela,' he said the government would take steps to acquire 70,000 acres of surplus land held by various people under litigation by coming out with a new land policy.

As part of the mela 3,518 Pattayam and possession certificates were distributed today. As many as 156 tribals were given possession certificate for the forest land in which they were resided before 1980. Pattayam were also given to 95 tribals and 278 people belonging to backward community.

In Kerala, 22,000 adivasi families without a piece of land would get one acre of land soon, the Minister said.

He said 3272 acres of surplus land acquired by the LDF government after coming to power would be distributed to the landless poor.

Mr Rajendran warned the government officials that punitive action and criminal cases would be filed against them if they indulged in fake registration of lands and lend support to the land grabbers.

UNI