Idukki: The proposed bill to amend the Land Assignment Act will not allow uncontrolled construction in the state even as it regularises buildings constructed on LA land between 1960 and 2023, water resources minister Roshy Augustine said.
Augustine, the minister in charge of Idukki, told reporters in Thodupuzha on Monday the government cannot draft a law or bring amendments to it that would only apply to past construction projects and not future ones. “That will have legal implications, if someone approaches the court. Like regularising existing buildings, the amendment also envisages instilling power in the government for permitting future constructions.
Such details will be explained in the Rules of the Amendment. The Bill (Kerala Government Land Assignment Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023), has been referred to the subject committee and in the assembly session to be convened from September 11 to 14 the opposition can propose more amendments.
The Bill will definitely be passed in the next assembly session,” the minister said.
Minister also hit out at UDF for burning a copy of the Bill in front of the Idukki Collectorate. He said the bill was meant to put an end to the six-decade-old land-related issues.
Reacting to the minister’s statement members of the Idukki Land Freedom Movement said they had been campaigning for unconditional use of LA land through the amendment. They said the government should allay their concerns regarding how the regularisation of the buildings on LA land would take place.
