. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The V D Satheesan-led UDF govt has decided to scrap the Kerala Land Assignment (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the 2025 Rules, and to create an independent state vigilance commission headed by a sitting high court judge.Two of the boldest measures contained in the govt’s ‘Vision 2031’ policy document indicate a sweeping political and administrative reset with far-reaching implications for the state’s high ranges and anti-corruption architecture. The decisions were taken at the new govt’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The document, accessed by TOI, promises a “permanent solution with retrospective effect” using the powers available under Section 7(1) of the Kerala Land Assignment Act, 1961, including resolving issues related to construction restrictions.The then LDF govt’s 2023 amendment had inserted Section 4A into the Kerala Land Assignment Act, 1960, enabling govt to regularise violations of patta conditions and permit alternative land use in assigned lands under prescribed conditions. The 2025 rules operationalised the law for regularising old violations in patta land, particularly in high-range districts such as Idukki, where land disputes, commercial construction freezes and settlement issues had remained unresolved for decades.The previous govt had defended the amendment as a “humanitarian intervention aimed at settlers and residents trapped in legal uncertainty because of historic restrictions on land use”. Critics, however, argued that the framework could pave the way for large-scale regularisation of illegal constructions and unscientific land use in ecologically fragile high-range regions.Welcoming the move, environmentalist Sridhar Radhakrishnan said, “The 2023 amendment was vulnerable to manipulation on the ground, including encroachments and unauthorised as well as unscientific land use. It carried the potential for future misuse.”The repeal gains political significance because the ‘Vision 2031’ document proposes some of the most pro-settler relaxations seen in Kerala’s high-range policy in decades.About the AuthorKP Sai KiranSai Kiran K P is an Assistant Editor with The Times of India, based in the Thiruvananthapuram bureau, where he has been working since 2011. Over the years, he has reported from New Delhi and Kerala, covering subjects ranging from crime and courts to governance and public policy.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCalcutta High Court Junks Pleas On West Bengal Cattle Slaughter Rules Ahead Of Bakr Eid‘Menon’ Surname Row: VD Satheesan Faces Heat From Kerala Congress Leaders Over Oath Name ChoiceIUML And VCK To Also Join Vijay Cabinet In Tamil Nadu, Expansion Tomorrow: ReportTMC Protests Against BJP Government Over Alleged Forced Eviction Of Hawkers In BengalTamil Nadu Cabinet Expansion: Congress MLAs Get Portfolios, Governor Stops Oath Praise Of LeadersNibe Successfully Tests Vayu Astra-1 Loitering Munition In Maiden TrialsCJP X Account Withheld In India After Crossing 200K Followers In Just Four Days | WatchFIR Sought Against Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Traitors’ Remark On PM Modi, Amit ShahAir India Flight AI2651 Hits Tail During Landing, Aircraft Grounded For Inspection At BengaluruViral Cockroach Janta Party Overtakes Congress And BJP In Instagram Followers Race | Watch123Photostories10 traditional Indian foods that PM Modi gifted world leaders during his 5-nation tourFrom chubby little Gangubai to a fit and fab young actress after losing 22 Kgs; Saloni Daini’s stunning transformation is inspiringDeepika Padukone’s Cannes looks through the yearsPlants that thrive during Indian monsoon without rotting5 desi Indian teas among the Top 50 Teas in the WorldVanessa Trump diagnosed with breast cancer: Inside her life after divorce with Donald Trump Jr.5 White foods you must avoid for good health5 real estate hotspots near newly-opened Navi Mumbai Airport seeing massive growthOptical illusion personality test: Fish, face or stars? What you see first reveals if you are easy-going, deep connector or big-picture visionaryCoconut water vs coconut milk: Which works better for summer hair growth?123Hot PicksBandra demolition driveIPL Schedule 2026Indian rupeeFalta VotingUK NET MigrationElon MuskTN Ministers ListTop TrendingTN Finance Minister Marie WilsonIPL Match TodayPappu SanaPM ModiHardik PandyaJEE Advanced Response SheetIPL Orange Cap 2026Conor McGregor Net WorthNEET UG Paper LeakWest Bengal Annapurna Yojana
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The V D Satheesan-led UDF govt has decided to scrap the Kerala Land Assignment (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the 2025 Rules, and to create an independent state vigilance commission headed by a sitting high court judge.Two of the boldest measures contained in the govt’s ‘Vision 2031’ policy document indicate a sweeping political and administrative reset with far-reaching implications for the state’s high ranges and anti-corruption architecture. The decisions were taken at the new govt’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The document, accessed by TOI, promises a “permanent solution with retrospective effect” using the powers available under Section 7(1) of the Kerala Land Assignment Act, 1961, including resolving issues related to construction restrictions.The then LDF govt’s 2023 amendment had inserted Section 4A into the Kerala Land Assignment Act, 1960, enabling govt to regularise violations of patta conditions and permit alternative land use in assigned lands under prescribed conditions. The 2025 rules operationalised the law for regularising old violations in patta land, particularly in high-range districts such as Idukki, where land disputes, commercial construction freezes and settlement issues had remained unresolved for decades.The previous govt had defended the amendment as a “humanitarian intervention aimed at settlers and residents trapped in legal uncertainty because of historic restrictions on land use”. Critics, however, argued that the framework could pave the way for large-scale regularisation of illegal constructions and unscientific land use in ecologically fragile high-range regions.Welcoming the move, environmentalist Sridhar Radhakrishnan said, “The 2023 amendment was vulnerable to manipulation on the ground, including encroachments and unauthorised as well as unscientific land use. It carried the potential for future misuse.”The repeal gains political significance because the ‘Vision 2031’ document proposes some of the most pro-settler relaxations seen in Kerala’s high-range policy in decades.
