PANDARAM
LANDS – GEOGRAPHY
News:
Lakshadweep residents
fume as administration continues to number trees on Pandaram lands
What's
in the news?
●
Beneath the calmness of this island is a
simmering dispute between the local people and the Lakshadweep administration
over the latter’s continued numbering of trees on ‘Pandaram lands’, allegedly
insisting such property belongs to the government.
Pandaram
Land:
●
Pandaram land constitutes approximately 60% of the land in Lakshadweep, covering
parts of Androth, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Minicoy and Agatti islands, as well
as six uninhabited islands.
●
The concept dates back to the rule of the
Arakkals in the mid-1500s and an agreement between Arakkal Aisha and islanders
granted them rights to cultivable land.
Historical
Transition of Ownership:
●
During British rule, the policy regarding
pandaram land was retained.
●
After independence, the land temporarily
came under the possession of the Indian government.
●
In 1965, revenue and tenancy regulations
were introduced, defining pandaram land as having administration proprietorship
immediately before the legislation, signifying the end of government ownership.
Ownership
and Compensation:
●
Individuals
who signed agreements during Arakkal Aisha's time or the British era,
and those whose names appeared in the 1965 land registry, own pandaram land.
●
Compensation was provided by the
government when acquiring land for development projects, such as the Agatti
airport.
Ownership
Application Process:
●
To claim ownership, individuals had to
apply for conformity of occupancy with the Lakshadweep administration.
●
Between 1988 and 2013, applications were
invited for occupancy rights, a process in which people actively participated.