Kerala CM warns of strict action against officials delaying housing permits for homeless families

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 10 (PTI) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday directed local bodies to grant permission for house construction to families without homes, regardless of whether the land falls within the Kerala State Land Bank (KSLB) or paddy field-wetland limits.

Responding to a calling attention motion by T I Madhusoodhanan, MLA, in the Assembly, Vijayan stated that permission should be granted for up to five cents in panchayats and 10 cents in municipal or corporation areas.

The KSLB is an initiative of the Kerala government aimed at providing professional and transparent governance of lands in the public domain.

The chief minister warned that strict action would be taken against officials causing undue delays in approving applications for eligible applicants.

“The biggest challenge for common people is the delay in securing permission to build homes on their land,” he said.

The LIFE project, launched by the LDF government in 2016 to fulfill the dream of secure housing for the poor, has become a model for the entire country, Vijayan claimed.

So far, the initiative has provided homes to 4.27 lakh people. At the same time, it is essential to ensure that those who own land have the right to build a home as they wish, he added.

To address this, the government amended the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008, in 2018, removing obstacles to filling paddy fields.

Under this amendment, if land not listed in the data bank is classified as ‘land’ and does not exceed 10 cents, no land conversion is required to construct a house of up to 120 sq m (1,291.67 sq ft), Vijayan said.

No objections can be raised by local self-government institutions when granting permits for house construction on such land, the CM stated.

He assured that the classification of land as ‘land’ in the Basic Tax Register (BTR) would not be an obstacle in approving building permits.

Similarly, under Section 27(a) of the Act, commercial buildings up to 40 sq m (430.56 sq ft) on land up to 5 cents do not require land conversion.

For approval, applicants only need to submit a certificate to the local body secretary along with their building application, confirming that the land is not listed in the data bank, Vijayan said.

Several applicants continue to approach revenue authorities for a change in land category, unaware of the exemptions available to them.

Officials from the Agriculture, Local Self-Government, and Revenue Departments should examine such applications and inform applicants about these benefits, Vijayan added.

However, this is often not done, preventing people from fully utilising the amendments made to the Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act in 2018, the chief minister said.

The failure of officials to process applications efficiently and provide accurate information has caused unnecessary delays, making it difficult for many to build even a small house. This reflects serious negligence on the part of officials, Vijayan said.

To address this, the government will take necessary steps to raise public awareness about these benefits, he said.

Any pending applications in the relevant departments will be resolved without delay, he assured.

Additionally, if a paddy field owner or their family, whose land was listed in the data bank when the Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act came into force in 2008, does not own suitable land for constructing a house in their district, they will be permitted to build on up to 10 cents in a grama panchayat or 5 cents in an urban area, the CM said.

Vijayan also emphasised the need for local self-government officials to exercise utmost care while granting such permissions. “They should not see it as their duty to find reasons for rejection,” Vijayan warned.