Malappuram (Kerala), Jul 15 (PTI) Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan on Tuesday said a total of 2,23,887 land title deeds (pattayams) have been distributed across the state in the past four years.
He was speaking at the online inauguration of a Pattaya Mela (land deed distribution event) held in various taluks of Malappuram district.
Over the past nine years, the government has managed to create more than four lakh new landowners in Kerala, the minister said.
Highlighting the motto "Land for all, records for every land, and smart access to all land services," he said the Revenue Department's initiatives stand out for their commitment and clarity.
The government's ultimate goal is to ensure land ownership for all landless people in the state, Rajan said.
He also noted that, for the first time in the state's history, through the Digital Resurvey Programme, around 4.5 lakh hectares of land have been surveyed and demarcated within a span of 18 months, facilitating a faster and more transparent revenue administration.
"The government does not view land encroachers and genuine occupants of land in the same light. The concerns of settlers and long-term occupants will be considered with compassion," the minister said.
He also said that several old and dilapidated village office buildings are being rebuilt in a larger and more attractive format, with around 600 of them becoming 'smart' village offices.
As revenue services become more integrated, people-friendly, and modernised, transforming village offices into smart centres is crucial, he said.
To further improve public access to services, the department is preparing to launch a Digital Revenue Card, which will consolidate around 14 different types of information issued by village offices into a single smart chip-enabled card for citizens.
On Tuesday alone, 2,187 pattayams were distributed in Malappuram district, including 2,032 Land Tribunal pattayams and 155 land registration pattayams, according to an official release here.