The Kerala High Court has directed the state government to expedite the formation of a special task force to oversee the investigation and digital survey of disputed land holdings in Idukki, including Munnar, after expressing dissatisfaction with delays in setting up the team.
A bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Basant Balaji was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Thrissur-based organisation One Earth One Life and others seeking the eviction of alleged illegal encroachments in Munnar. The court said the work of the special investigation team and the digital survey could be effectively coordinated and completed only after the special task force was constituted.
The court had earlier directed the state government to submit, by October 29, the names of officers who could be spared exclusively for the task force for at least six months. During the hearing, Additional Advocate General K C Vincent sought another week to suggest the names. Although the court granted the additional time, it recorded that it was “not happy with any delay”.
The proceedings also raised questions over how boundaries were being identified during the digital survey. Amicus curiae Harish Vasudevan told the court that the survey team was marking boundaries using satellite coordinates based on claims made by people in possession of the land. Counsel for the petitioners argued that such claims could not be accepted without verification.
The petitioners also contended that new pattayams or title documents should not be issued while the claims were still under scrutiny. The court, however, clarified that the SIT and digital survey teams would continue their work. It said their activities would eventually have to follow protocols framed by the special task force once it was constituted.
The court further directed that a village officer or another authorised person be included in the digital survey team during all future survey activities. The direction introduces a formal revenue-administration presence into the survey process, alongside the use of satellite coordinates and the ongoing investigation.
The case concerns the administration and verification of disputed land holdings in a region where questions over encroachment, possession and title have been the subject of court proceedings. The court’s directions place the immediate focus on creating an officer-led structure capable of coordinating the SIT and digital survey work and ensuring that claims are examined before land records or title documents are acted upon.
The high court adjourned the matter to November 5 and directed the state government to submit a brief report on the ongoing activities of the SIT and the digital survey team.
