Kerala Assembly passes Bill to conserve paddy fields

In a major step to preserve Kerala's fast dwindling rice production base and check ecological degradation, the state assembly on July 24, 2008 passed a legislation making reclamation of the paddy fields punishable.

The much-awaited 'Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Bill' also assumed significance as it efforts to ensure food security in the consumer state, where thousands of hectares of paddy field had been converted into cash crop gardens and real estate properties over the decades.

The Bill, piloted by Revenue Minister Shri K P Rajendran as it was returned by a select committee of the House, had provisions to slap a fine from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh and up to three years of imprisonment for those found guilty of filling up paddy fields.

Under the legislation, major rice production areas like Kuttanad, Palakkad and Wayanad would be notified as Agro Ecological Zones. However, the Bill had provisions to reclaim up to five cents for constructing houses by individuals. It had also noted that the area under rice cultivation in the state had sharply declined from eight lakh hectares in early 1970s to nearly two lakh hectares by 2000, forcing the state to rely heavily on its neighbors for staple food grain.

The legislation also sought to protect inland wetlands in the state to the extent of 1,27,930 hectares.

The Bill was introduced to the House last year and left to a select committee after initial discussions. The committee had held sittings in different parts of the state to elicit views of farmers, farm workers, scientists and environmentalists.

Focus on protecting rivers in new water policy

The draft water policy for the state, presented by water resources Minister Shri N K Preamchandran in the assembly on July 20, 2008 focused on the need to scientific management of water resources.

Apparently alluding to inter-state water issues, including Mullaperiyar and Parambikulam Aliyar with Tamil Nadu, the policy said the activities of the Dam Safety Authority would be strengthened. The state would enter into all inter-state water sharing agreements only after obtaining state assembly's approval.

The popular notion that Kerala was a water surplus state needs to be corrected in view of population increase, climate change and fast increasing consumption of water, it said.

The right to water would be treated as a citizen's right and sources of water considered a public asset. Strict controls would be enforced for commercial use of water.

New schemes like recycling waster water through scientific treatment methods would be encouraged.To protect rivers from degradation, a River Management Authority would be formed, the policy said.

Action plan to assign land to landless tribals in the state

Kerala Government was planning an action-plan to assign lands to landless tribals on a time bound basis, state Revenue Minister Shri K P Rajendran told the assembly on July 21, 2008.

The action plan, with a view to resolve the land problem of triabls, would be formulated during a meeting to be attended by Minister for Welfare of Backward Communities Shri A K Balan and other top department officials, Rajendran said while replying to calling attention on the matter.

So far, 9000 tribal families have been given one acres of land in different parts of the state. Nearly 2,335 acres have of land have been identified for distribution for 600 families in Kannur.

The land would be distributed at a function to be held at Kannur on August 9, 2008 he said. The objective of Government was to provide either one or five acres to landless tribals, he said.

Various district collectors had identified a total of 18,231 acres of land for distribution and process of assigning this to tribals was also progressing, he added.