Title deed of land with CPM office cancelled in Munnar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government cancelled CPM Munnar area committee office's pattayam, infamously known as Raveendran pattayams. It was one of the several irregular titles issued by M I Raveendran, former deputy tahsildar at Devikulam in Idukki.
The title of 25 cents land in Munnar issued in the name of M M Mani, CPM leader and former power minister, was cancelled by Idukki district collector after a hearing, it is reliably learnt. The land was awarded to him as a "social servant", a category that does not qualify under the law for awarding government land.
Among the 559 pattayams issued by Raveendran in 1999, it was found that the CPM office in Munnar is situated on one such land. The district administration had served a notice to Mani and heard him as required under existing laws, before cancelling the title.
Interestingly, the land assigned to Mani was in violation of the Kerala land assignment rules, 1964. In the documents, it has been said that the pattayam holder Mani is a person undertaking "social service" and whose family owns another 15 cents in addition to the land in question, with survey number 62/9, which is a government poramboke land.
As per land assignment rules, government land can be assigned for purposes of personal cultivation, house sites and beneficial enjoyment of adjoining registered holdings. According to rule 8 (2) of the land assignment rules, the assignee or a member of his family or a successor in interest, should reside in the land if it is granted as house site, or should cultivate if the land is granted for farming, which should commence within one year after assigning.
In Mani's case, none of the conditions hold good. Also, the land should not be alienated before 10 years of being awarded, a violation in this case, it is learnt. Government had declared that all pattayams issued by Raveendran would be cancelled, and those eligible would be issued fresh titles. In this case, government cannot reissue pattayam as it does not satisfy conditions of land assignment rules.