A large number of applications for the reclassification of lands, which were fields for a long time and later became dry land, are pending in RDO offices. Although the authorities are saying that these will be settled in time, the applicants are being forced to wait endlessly. There is no fee for the conversion of old land up to 25 cents to dry land. A fee has been fixed for the reclassification of land above 25 cents. Earlier, special officers were appointed in the revenue offices to speed up the land reclassification process. However, it is not clear if these officers are still working there. Anyways, land reclassification applications are piling up across the state. After February 2022, 3.68 lakh applications were received for land reclassification. One can only imagine how long it will take to investigate and settle these applications.

It has been decided to speed up the process by holding special adalats in the wake of the outcry from the applicants. For this, special adalats will be organized in 27 RD offices from January 15 to February 17. Regularization of lands up to 25 cents will be prioritized in the adalats. The adalats will be headed by the Revenue Minister. 1,18,523 applications will reach the adalats for a decision. The Revenue Department has assured that the settlement will be made in such a way that the facility of tax payment can be obtained within two days after completing the procedures on the day of the adalat itself. This is a comforting decision for the applicants. It is also a good decision that applicants do not need to apply separately to participate in the adalats. The authorities have also introduced a system to notify the date and time of the adalat on the phone number mentioned in the application submitted earlier.

Applications for land reclassification will continue to emerge even after settling all the applications received so far. The applications will not pile up like now if the officials make the decisions as soon as receiving the applications. A special section can be set up in the revenue offices for this purpose. As paddy cultivation in the state has declined to a large extent, many of the old paddy fields have already been converted into land. Despite the introduction of the Paddy Field Protection Act, paddy cultivation has not flourished in Kerala. Hectares of land are lying fallow in the state as it is illegal to fill the fields. It has been allowed to convert five or ten cents of land into dry land for building houses and other essential matters. However, there are many barriers to that. The applications for land reclassification started piling up after a law was passed allowing up to twenty-five cents of land to be filled and used for other purposes. Of the 3.68 lakh applications received, 1.12 lakh have already been settled. Most of the pending applications are those under the free limit. The complications in the procedures and typical delays in government systems have resulted in delayed decisions on applications. These types of problems can be overcome to a great extent through adalats. In Kerala, where per capita land is very low, it cannot be insisted that the land should not be converted for other purposes just because it has been a field or wetland for a long time. The government brought a special law in this regard on the basis of the long clamour of the land owners. Adalats will help settle applications without intermediaries.