Government Will Protect All Legal Rights of Munambam Residents: Minister P Rajeev

Kochi: Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev reiterated that the state government will not allow anyone in Munambam to be evicted from their land, reaffirming the LDF’s firm support for the protesting families. He said the government’s stance remains unchanged: residents will retain their homes and properties, regardless of the Waqf Board’s claim over the land.

Rajeev noted that the decision on concluding the ongoing relay protest rests entirely with its organisers — the Munambam Land Protection Committee. He said that even earlier, the chief minister had assured that eviction would not happen and allowed the protesters themselves to decide on winding up their strike, and that position still stands.

The clarification follows the Kerala High Court’s directive asking the state government to accept land tax from Munambam residents. With the order now in place, tax collection has begun, removing a crucial legal obstacle for locals.

CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam, responding to the court’s direction, emphasized that the Left has consistently stood with the people of Munambam in their fight to secure land ownership. He said the state government resumed tax acceptance immediately after the court order and expressed gratitude to the people and the judiciary. Binoy Viswam explained that the revenue department had previously initiated steps to collect land tax, but the move was halted due to an earlier High Court directive. With that barrier lifted, the process has resumed smoothly.

The dispute centres on the Waqf Board’s claim over nearly 400 acres of land in Munambam. More than 600 families who purchased this land years ago have been battling legal challenges to secure ownership. Earlier, the High Court Division Bench had ruled that the Munambam coastal land is not Waqf property. Following this ruling, the Advocate General personally appeared before the court and sought permission to initiate land tax collection. Later, the Kerala High Court’s Single Bench issued a directive allowing the acceptance of land tax, offering major relief to the coastal residents. After the verdict, 15 families from Munambam arrived at the Kuzhuppilly Village Office and paid their land tax.