The government may consider conversion of land, not included in the data bank and below the 25-cent extent, for conversion through a common order.
The suggestion was put forward by the Joint Council of State Service Organisations, which claimed that under a common order, it would be possible to settle the applications for land conversion in less than a week, whereas it now takes up a much longer period.
The data bank was published through the joint efforts of Revenue and Agriculture departments. It is an authoritative document that can be relied on for government action.
And, it must now be possible to issue a common order for land that can be converted without payment of fees and those below the 25-cent extent, said an office-bearer of the joint council.
The joint council said applications might be received for another five lakh hectares, and that it would require a large number of government employees to settle them.
Instead, if a common order is issued, the applications can be settled without delay and without burdening the already overstretched Revenue department.
Joint council sources said the suggestion had been put forward to the government, which was considering it. The suggestion comes even as the Revenue department is planning to deploy more personnel to handle land conversion applications.
The inordinate delay and alleged exploitation of applicants by middlemen and officials had been highlighted by the recent suicide by a fisherman, who was facing huge delay in converting his small plot of land.
District Collector Jaffar Malik has ordered the formation of a nine-member panel under the Fort Kochi Sub Collector to study problems related to processing of land conversion applications. The committee is expected to submit its report this week.
The District Collector has issued instructions to the Revenue department to treat applications on a war-footing and to behave well with applicants. While the Collector said there was a shortage of hands at Revenue offices, it should not be an excuse for misbehaving with applicants.
