The Kerala High Court has for three months stayed a notice issued by the Deputy Collector, Kavaratti, Lakshadweep, for taking possession of the ‘Pandaram’ land from a petitioner who has moved the High Court.
The court issued the interim order recently on a writ petition filed by C.T. Anver Sadath of Kavaratti island. According to the petitioner, he had purchased the land from cowledar (person who has been granted a lease of Pandaram land).
As per the Laccadives, Mincoy and Aminidivi Islands Land Revenue Tenancy Regulations, 1965, land in Lakshadweep is divided into two categories — Pandaram and ‘Janmam’, the petition said. Pandaram land is defined as the land in which the government has a proprietary right immediately before the commencement of the regulations.
As per 2(n) of the regulations, the landowner also includes a person shown as holding Pandaram land as a cowledar in government records.
In 1985, the Central government had clarified in a communication that cowledar should be given full ownership of the land with permanent, heritable and transferable rights. However, it was later withdrawn by way of a communication dated December 20, 2023. Therefore, the petitioner said, the orders issued by the Deputy Collector are illegal and in violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner.