Thiruvananthapuram: A prominent Sangh outfit has urged Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to not give his assent to the Kerala Government Land Assessment (Amendment) Bill-2023. Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram (BVK), a sangh outfit, claimed that the bill was aimed at regularising the unauthorised construction and land defacement activities taking place in the ecologically sensitive Munnar area, a press release issued here on Saturday said.
"The Government of Kerala has passed the bill in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on September 14, 2023, which empowers the government to regularise the unauthorised construction and land defacement activities carried out in contravention of the condition specified in the patta assigned to the land assignees without considering the ecological importance of Munnar area, its land terrain height from the sea level, earthquake, landslide occurrence possibilities, forest and wild life protection laws," a resolution adopted by the state committee of the BVK on September 27, said.
The organisation said that the proposed legislation seeks regularisation of "unauthorised constructions made for over 50 years in order to circumvent the Kerala High Court's direction to settle the land related issues in Munnar area". It said another amendment in the bill empowers the government to issue permission to the land assignees for rock mining and resort construction in these ecologically fragile high range lands which may result in the total destruction of the western ghats and its flora and fauna.
"This indiscriminate and unreclaimable land defacement is the main reason for the ongoing man-animal conflict. This proposed enactment may provide an advantageous situation for the owners of the unauthorised buildings demolished by the government in 2007 to claim compensation for their constructions," the resolution said.
BVK said the politically motivated intention of the ruling and the opposition parties was evident from the passing of this bill unanimously by the Legislative Assembly. It alleged that the proposed enactment was thoughtfully crafted with the ulterior intention of vote bank and appeasement politics and appealed to the Governor not to give his assent to the bill. (PTI)
