The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala recently introduced a landmark Bill in the Assembly, aiming to revolutionize land ownership across the state. This new legislation seeks to formalize the ownership of private land currently held by individuals, firms, companies, and other entities, especially when digital surveys reveal they possess more land than officially recorded.
Revenue Minister K. Rajan lauded the “Kerala Excess Land in Private Holding (Regularisation) Bill” as a “revolutionary” step forward. He highlighted that the government embarked on a comprehensive digital survey of revenue land parcels in Kerala in 2023. This ongoing survey has already covered a significant portion—one-third of the state’s revenue land, encompassing an estimated 9 lakh hectares and 70,000 distinct “land parcels.”
The digital valuation process has brought to light a curious anomaly: many individual owners are found to be in possession of more land than their official title deeds indicate. Minister Rajan provided a clear example: “Imagine an individual whose title deed shows ownership of 10 cents of land. The survey might reveal they actually possess an additional two cents. Currently, this person faces a dilemma—they cannot legally sell or properly manage the entire plot because they lack official title or documented possession for that ‘excess’ portion. This new Bill provides a vital legal framework, enabling the government to grant legal ownership of this surplus land to the individual who has lawfully held it.”
Streamlining Ownership and Reducing Bureaucracy
According to Mr. Rajan, the primary goals of this Bill are to simplify land ownership processes, significantly reduce unnecessary litigation, and liberate citizens and entities from bureaucratic hurdles. It opens a clear pathway for them to formally apply for ownership of any excess land they have been legally possessing.
However, it’s crucial to note that the Bill comes with specific limitations. It will not permit the regularisation or settlement of land if the digital survey identifies government land in the possession of private individuals or entities. Furthermore, the proposed law explicitly forbids regularisation if it results in any reduction of government land adjacent to private holdings.
Minister Rajan emphasized that the new law establishes a precise and consistent procedure for legitimizing and officially transferring this excess land to its lawful private possessors and entities. He also assured that the Bill remains fully compliant with the historic Kerala Land Reforms Act.
He further added that this legislation is designed to correct historical discrepancies that arose from older chain surveys. “No State government since 1965 has introduced such a contemporary Bill for land settlement and regularisation,” Mr. Rajan stated, expressing confidence that “the Bill is poised to benefit thousands of small landowners across Kerala.”
Despite the significance of the Bill, a debate on its provisions was cut short due to disruptions from the UDF. The treasury benches ultimately passed the Bill through a voice vote, and Speaker A. N. Shamseer has since referred it to Subject Committee-II of the Kerala Legislative Assembly for further consideration.