The Revenue Department has taken two significant steps to solve long-standing issues. One is the decision to provide a separate title deed and possession certificate for each flat in multi-storey complexes. The other is the distribution of forest rights deed to tribal families living in forest areas.

Until now, flat owners couldn't pay taxes in their own names. The land on which a flat complex stands was treated as a single title deed. Typically, associations collected taxes and submitted them at village offices. However, some associations delayed this process, causing technical difficulties when owners tried to secure bank loans by mortgaging them or sell their flats.

When revenue laws were initially formulated, flats were not common. Over time flat living became more common due to population growth, the breakdown of joint families, and reduced availability of land. Today, around two lakh apartments exist in the state. The new decision allows assigning the mother title of the land to the flat complex and provides each flat owner a separate sub-number, enabling individual tax payments. These reforms follow after recommendations was received by the Land Revenue Commissioner to address challenges. However, the Revenue Department should ask itself why implementing this people-friendly change took five years.

The tribal community has fought long and hard for their right to own land. Many tribals have lived in forest areas for centuries without legal rights. Revenue Minister K. Rajan announced that 29,166 tribal families across 566 Scheduled Tribe sanctuaries have now been granted forest rights. However, many tribals across Kerala are still fighting for such rights, and the government must address these cases too. The minister assured that the sanctuaries will also be declared revenue villages to complete the implementation of forest rights deeds. This will enable 29,166 families to pay taxes on the 38,582 acres of land granted through these deeds.

The state government issued the forest rights deeds under the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006, enacted by the Central Government to secure land rights for tribals. It is expected that the Revenue Department will soon prepare a register of the beneficiaries and start collecting taxes under the Land Tax Act, 1961.