Kochi: The high court, expressing concern that long-pending land disputes in Munnar remained unresolved despite two decades of litigation and at least six reports containing recommendations, has proposed setting up a special task force (STF) to examine and implement the recommendations.
The bench adjourned the petitions to Oct 29, asking the state to provide the names of officers who could be spared exclusively for the STF for a minimum period of six months. The first report was submitted by the then additional chief secretary in 2003, followed by a report by the ADGP (Intelligence) in 2004 and one by a committee headed by the revenue secretary in 2006. The revenue secretary appears to have submitted another report in 2007, containing comprehensive recommendations for the entire territory.
A bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Basant Balaji made the proposal while considering a batch of petitions filed by Thrissur-based organisation One Earth One Life and others seeking the eviction of illegal encroachments in Munnar. The court suggested that the STF comprise officers from the revenue, police and other govt departments, along with the amicus curiae and advocates chosen by the court. The court proposed the STF, noting that the petitions concerning land issues in Munnar had been pending for two decades and that at least six reports containing recommendations were on record. The court observed that these reports had remained on hold without any concrete action being taken and proposed constituting an STF. Additional advocate general K C Vincent expressed the state’s willingness to form such a task force.
Because its members were burdened with other official responsibilities, the court also noted the amicus curiae’s submission that an earlier monitoring committee had proved ineffective. It proposed that the STF comprise a suitable mix of members capable of both enforcing measures and making recommendations. The court clarified that the proposed STF’s role should not be confused with that of the existing special investigation team (SIT), whose primary responsibility is to verify the authenticity of pattayams and other documents.