'Thandaper' of former Idukki MP Joice's land cancelled

Idukki: After a long legal battle, the government has initiated the final steps to take over the controversial land owned by former Idukki MP Joice George and family at 58th block in Idukki’s Kottakkamboor village.

Devikulam sub-collector Renu Raj issued an order stating that the ‘thandaper’ of the land has been cancelled and directed the Devikulam tahsildar to take over the land and take further action.

The issue had come to light in 2014 when George was contesting as an independent candidate backed by the LDF in the Parliament election from Idukki constituency. The complaint was that George and family had acquired over 20 acres in the proposed Neelakurinji Sanctuary area at Kottakkamboor, near Munnar, by forging documents.

The order was issued by the sub-collector separately to George and his family members — Anoopa Joice, Mary George, Jissa Justin and Rajiv Jothish. The order said that the title deeds were cancelled as per the Land Assignment Rules, 1964. The five-year-old controversy over the land had neared its conclusion when the former MP and his family members failed to appear before the sub-collector with proper documents, in the last chance given to them, said officials.

“The title deed of Joice George was on the land at block number 58 with ‘thandaper’ number 120. It stated that the applicant was handed over the right of ownership of 1.6107 ha in 1964. However, the documents from a resurvey conducted in 1970 stated that the said land in Kottakamboor was not occupied by anyone. Moreover, the applicant as per his birth records was not even born during the period when the title deed was made,” stated the order.

It was on September 9, 2017, that the then Devikulam sub-collector, V R Premkumar, cancelled the title deed. Then, George had filed an appeal before the then Idukki district collector, G R Gokul, and the collector ordered the review of the entire proceedings. Later, George approached the land revenue commissioner to cancel the order by the sub-collector. Then, the land revenue commissioner directed the Devikulam sub-collector to conduct a detailed hearing on the issue.

Revenue sources said that five title deeds in the region were cancelled and the land verification process in the Neelakurinji sanctuary area were continuing. “If malpractices are found, we will cancel more title deeds,” said a revenue department official.