12/K/S/O
The New Indian Express, Kochi
840 families to get land at Aralam
Thursday March 2 2006 10:19 IST
KANNUR: The first phase of land distribution among landless Adivasis at the Aralam
Farm in the district will take place on Friday.
Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, District Collector K S Srinivas
disclosed that in the first phase around 840 tribal families will get one acre each at the
farm.
The beneficiaries were selected after an extensive survey and from more than 6,000
applications.
All those found eligible will be provided with possession certificates carrying the
photographs of the recipient and spouse.
The Aralam Farm sprawling over 7,400 acres, which was under the Central Government,
was purchased by the State Government for Rs.42 crore using Tribal Welfare Fund for
distribution among the tribals.
According to a package formulated by the government 50 percent of the land will be
retained by the government leaving the rest for distribution.
A portion of the land will also be distributed among tribal families from Wayanad. But
the survey for the purpose is yet to be completed.
The plots for distribution now were demarcated leaving out barren and uninhabitable
areas.
A majority of the 840 beneficiary-families in the first phase belong to the Pania
community.