Collector submits report on title distribution in catchment areas of dams in Idukki

The district administration has submitted a report to the government on land possession in the catchment areas of hydroelectric projects in Idukki. Sources say the report recommends granting title deeds to farmers residing above the full reservoir level (FRL) of the dams.

According to officials, the areas under consideration include the “ten-chain” zone of Kallarkutty, Chenkulam, and Ponmudi dams and the “three-chain” zone of the Idukki dam. They say 1,403 people in Kallarkutty, 222 in Chenkulam, nearly 100 in Ponmudi, and 1,502 people in villages of Ayyappankovil, Kanchiyar, and Upputhara near the Idukki hydel project are awaiting title deeds.

The report follows a meeting involving Ministers for Revenue, Water Resources, and Electricity, which directed Idukki District Collector Dineshan Cheruvatt to examine the issue. After a joint verification by the departments concerned, the Collector’s report has reportedly recommended distributing title deeds to settlers located outside the FRL of the dams.

During the tenure of M.M. Mani as Electricity Minister, title deeds were issued to residents in the “seven-chain” zone of the Idukki dam, while the three-chain zone was excluded. Residents have long demanded that title deeds be granted across the entire ten-chain area.

Although distribution of title deeds has been a longstanding demand of farmers’ associations, legal hurdles remain. The High Court had earlier prohibited issuing of title deeds under the 1964 rules. Considering this, some farmer groups are asking how the government plans to circumvent the order, especially in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

District Congress Committee general secretary Bijo Mani dismissed the report as a “political gimmick” aimed at attracting voters. Referring to a recent Right to Information reply, he said the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had maintained that prior permission was mandatory before any title deeds could be issued in these areas.

“The KSEB and the government have not issued any official order indicating their readiness to distribute these deeds,” Mr. Mani said. “Under the present circumstances, the government cannot legally issue title deeds to those in possession of land within the dam catchment areas,” Mr. Mani added.