Kerala High Court Upholds Land Acquisition for Wayanad Landslide Rehabilitation

The Kerala High Court ruled that the state government can acquire land from Harrisons Malayalam Limited and Elstone Tea Estate Limited to establish a model township for victims of the Wayanad landslide. The judgment dismisses petitions challenging the government's decision under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The Kerala High Court has ruled in favor of the state government's decision to acquire land from Harrisons Malayalam Limited and Elstone Tea Estate Limited for a model township aimed at rehabilitating survivors of the devastating July 30 Wayanad landslide.

Justice Kauser Edappagath dismissed the estate companies' petitions, which contended that the state's acquisition of 65.41 acres from Harrisons Malayalam Limited's Nedumbala Estate and 78.73 acres from Elston Estate was unconstitutional. The court upheld the necessity of the land acquisition under the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005, emphasizing the urgent need to resettle around 1,210 displaced families.

The Wayanad District Collector, chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, identified the properties suitable for rehabilitation. The court mandated that the government determine and pay compensation under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013, before taking possession. Revenue Minister K Rajan expressed satisfaction with the verdict, asserting that the state prioritized timely rehabilitation post-disaster.

(With inputs from agencies.)