Munambam: no residents will be evicted, assures CM Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that his government is committed to resolving the issues of the people of Munambam village and assured that no one with proper documents will be evicted from the coastal hamlet. He assured the Munambam Struggle Committee (Munambam Samara Samiti) that the land issues would be resolved without causing any hardship to Munambam residents, PTI reported.

In an online meeting with the Samiti, Vijayan told the committee that the government has decided to form a judicial commission.

In the villages of Cherai and Munambam in Ernakulam district, residents have alleged the Waqf Board was unlawfully claiming their land and properties despite the people holding registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.

The state government has requested the Waqf Board not to take any action, including issuing notices, and the Board has agreed to this.

The residents of the land will have the opportunity to present their claims and concerns before the commission, he said.

Vijayan assured us that his government would clarify its stance in the case, which is currently pending before the court.

The government will implead itself as a party in the ongoing cases of the residents before the High Court on this matter, he stated.

The government will initiate all possible steps to vacate the stay order by the High Court, preventing the residents from paying the land tax, CM added.

He assured us that the concerns of the residents would be presented before the court.

The CM also requested the full cooperation of the residents to expedite the functioning of the commission.

Meanwhile, the Munambam Struggle Committee said that they would continue the ongoing strike.

A high-level committee chaired by the Chief Minister on Friday had decided to appoint a judicial commission to identify the ownership of the disputed land in Munambam.