The Kerala High Court has constituted a five-member special task force to oversee the investigation and digital survey of disputed land holdings in Munnar, while directing it to prepare a standard operating procedure for land administration by December 10. The order places land records, pattayam documents, registry transfers and assignment procedures under a coordinated review as the court hears petitions seeking the eviction of alleged illegal encroachments in the region.
A bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Basant Balaji issued the direction while considering a batch of petitions filed by One Earth One Life, Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi and others. The court’s intervention comes amid allegations that village, revenue and registration offices have not maintained proper registers and records, or followed established procedures while handling land-related transactions.
The task force will be headed by Public Works Department Additional Secretary V R Vinod. Its other members are S Shamsudheen, superintendent of police at the Kerala Books and Publication Society; Sanoop S, deputy collector (Revenue Recovery), Kollam; John Mathew, deputy conservator of forests (special investigation and protection), Kottayam; and A K Manoj, survey superintendent, Devikulam.
The court has asked the task force to oversee the investigation and digital survey of disputed holdings and study recommendations made by various committees. Its proposed protocol must give specific attention to the registers and documentation maintained by revenue offices, including records held by village officers. The task force may also recommend measures to preserve and protect documents that already exist.
The direction seeks to consolidate responsibilities that have earlier been distributed across multiple committees and teams. The bench said all other committees constituted previously had become unnecessary, except the monitoring committee, the special investigation team and the digital survey team. It also observed that the special task force could eventually take over the role of the monitoring committee.
The court’s directions cover not only the preparation of the protocol but also the conditions under which the task force is expected to work. The state government has been directed to provide the required infrastructure, personnel and transport. It must also ensure that the members are not assigned other duties while they prepare the land administration protocol.
The proceedings are linked to wider disputes over land holdings and alleged encroachments in Munnar, where the accuracy and preservation of official records are central to determining how land was assigned, transferred or occupied. The court has scheduled the matter for further consideration on November 12, when the progress of the investigation, digital survey and administrative arrangements may come under review.
