HC asks Kerala Govt to give land to landless tribals

Kerala High Court has directed the state government to take steps to distribute land to landless tribals.

As a beginning, the high court directed distribution of land to eligible tribals in the Chittoor taluk of Palakkad district. The proceedings for allotment shall commence at the earliest, at any rate, within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of the judgement, Justice P V Asha said disposing of a petition by a tribal man.

The court said the government cannot shut its eyes toward the plight of tribals who still remain landless poor.

Petitioner Sivan P was an Adivasi and his grievance was ‘inaction’ of the government to assign land to tribal people like him, the Judge said in her order.

The petitioner submitted that the government and its agencies were not taking any effective action to provide Adivasis land despite a judgement of the Supreme Court as well as the provisions in the Kerala Restriction on Transfer by Restoration of Lands to Scheduled Tribes Act, 1999.

The Judge noted that the apex court had directed that available land should be of use to the Adivasis and no hilly land unfit for agricultural purposes shall be given.