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The State government will not allow the ‘spirit’ of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act of 2008 to be compromised.
The assurance came from the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, while intervening in the discussions on the issue in the State Assembly.
LAND CONVERSION
There is no question of the government allowing conversion of paddy lands for real estate development, he said.
Mr Chandy requested the opposition not to doubt the good intentions of the government in reviewing the databank on paddy land ownership in the State.
The Opposition had alleged that the government had decided to do the review on 975 local bodies to help the land mafia.
The review was being carried out with a view to incorporating corrections to some entries in the current data.
The 2008 Act stipulates that the wetlands shall be maintained as such and prohibits their reclamation and removal of sand from them.
LOCAL COMMITTEES
It also had provided for the formation of a local level monitoring committee in each panchayat or municipality to monitor its implementation.
The committee was tasked with the responsibility to prepare the databank giving details of the cultivable paddy land and wetland within its area of jurisdiction.
This was to be done with the help of maps prepared by the Sate land use board or Centre-State science and technology institutions.
This would in turn be based on satellite pictures and incorporating survey numbers and their extent in the databank and getting it officially notified.
ALTERNATE LAND
A State-level committee would be constituted for reporting to the government, after scrutiny, applications for filling of paddy land for public purposes.
This apex committee will examine whether any alternate land is available and report on ecological changes likely triggered from such filling to the government.
Mr Chandy said the government would consider enacting a legislation to prevent sale of paddy fields other than for construction of houses by the landless or for public purposes.
The law would stipulate that only farmers would be able to purchase paddy lands and that too for farming purposes alone.
> vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in
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