Munambam: Judicial Commission to invite land owners, other stakeholders for meeting

Panel says no legitimate settlers will be evicted and the rights of all long-time settlers will be protected

The C.N. Ramachandran Nair Judicial Commission, which is looking into the Munambam land issue, will invite the representatives of land owners in Munambam and other stakeholders for discussions shortly.

The commission will submit its recommendations to protect the interest of the settlers. The mandate of the commission is to submit recommendations to protect the homesteads and holdings of long-time settlers in Munambam.

The State government had made clear its intention to protect the interests of the legitimate occupants of Munambam while appointing the commission, Mr. Nair told The Hindu.

Representations

All the stakeholders would be heard after issuing them notices. The stakeholders could represent themselves personally or through lawyers. Though the stakeholders could approach the commission individually, group representations would be preferred as they would save time and help in completing the job on time, said Mr. Nair, a former judge of the Kerala High Court.

No legitimate settlers would be evicted. The rights of all long-time settlers would be protected, and there would not be any displacement of those who had been living there for a long time. The commission would have to verify the veracity of the claims of various stakeholders and scrutinise the documents to understand the nature of the ownership of the holdings and to submit its recommendations, he said.

The State government appointed the commission after a high-level meeting convened by the Chief Minister on November 22.

Residents of two wards of Munambam have launched an indefinite stir demanding that they shall not be evicted from the holding, which they had reportedly purchased from Farook College, the Muttavally of a reported Waqf deed executed by Siddique Sait on November 1, 1950.

Advice on legal matters

The modus operandi of the commission would be decided after the government released its Terms of Reference. The commission could not interfere with the legal proceedings that were pending before the Waqf Tribunal and the Kerala High Court. It would also have to abide by the decisions of the judicial bodies. However, the commission would advise the government on the legal stand to be taken in various courts, said Mr. Nair.

The commission will visit Munambam at a later stage.

Published - November 24, 2024 07:29 pm IST