Thiruvananthapuram: The Land Assignment (Amendment) Act enables the regularisation of buildings on assigned land used for farming or related agricultural activities without incurring a fee. This relaxation is also extended to buildings on assigned land used as places of worship and to house government-approved or university-affiliated unaided educational institutions.

A fee, based on the land's fair value, must be paid for buildings on properties assigned for agricultural or residential purposes. The fee structure is as follows:

• 1%: Registered societies involved in cultural, entertainment or charitable activities. It will also be applicable to buildings of political parties, government-approved social organisations, and cooperative societies, transferred after the deadline mentioned in the revenue or assignment order.
• 5%: Commercial and industrial buildings with an area of 3,000 to 5,000 square feet.
• 10%: Private hospitals on revenue land, commercial and industrial buildings with an area of 5,000 to 10,000 square feet, land without buildings but used for commercial or industrial purposes, and land with or without buildings used for tourism purposes.  
• 20%: Commercial and industrial buildings with an area of 10,000 to 25,000 square feet.
• 40%: Commercial and industrial buildings with an area of 25,000 to 50,000 square feet.
• 50%: Commercial and industrial buildings with an area of above 50,000 square feet. This is applicable to land for which a licence and permits have been granted to start a quarry.

The Land Assignment Act
Various rules under the Kerala Government Land Assignment Act of 1960 allow for providing title deeds to individuals and families to use land for farming, constructing houses, roads and shops. Several people allotted title deeds under the Act, used the land for other purposes, or even sold them to other people. This led to the breach of the procedures and conditions under which title deeds were granted.

Amendments    
The Land Assignment (Amendment) Act will be applicable to the following rules:
The Land Assignment Rules of 1964, Assignment of Land within Municipal and Corporation Areas, 1995; the Arable Forest Land Assignment Rules of 1970, rules pertaining to the rehabilitation of farm workers, land assignment rules for rubber, cardamom, tea and coffee plantations, the Wynad Colonisation Scheme Rules and the Kerala Land Assignment (Regularisation of Occupations of Forest Lands prior to 1-1-1977) Special Rules.