Thiruvananthapuram: A decision has been made to appoint a judicial commission to resolve the Munambam land issue. The decision was made in a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. The commission will examine matters including the ownership of the land, and it was decided in the meeting that the residents of Munambam would not be displaced. It was also requested that no notices or actions related to eviction be issued until a decision is made on the matter. The ministers K. Rajan, P. Rajeev, and V. Abdurahman informed the media that the Waqf Board had been asked not to take any further action, and the Waqf Board has confirmed that no further steps will be taken.
Reports indicate that the former Acting Chief Justice of the High Court, C. N. Ramachandran Nair, will be appointed as the judicial commissioner. The commission has been instructed to complete the proceedings and submit a report within three months. The ministers also emphasized that there is no need for the public to be concerned, and the government will proceed with legal actions to protect their rights. A review petition will be filed in the High Court for this purpose. Meanwhile, the decision to appoint a judicial commission has been met with disappointment by the ation committee. They have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.
The Waqf Board’s claim to the land has resulted in 614 families in Munambam losing their revenue rights over the land. The disputed land, measuring 404 acres, was donated to Farooq College. The Waqf Board decided in 2019 that the Munambam land was Waqf property. The order was issued after hearing from the managing committee of Farooq College and family members of Sattar Setti, who had given the land, and after reviewing the records. The land was added to the Waqf Board’s register. The residents of Munambam, who are seeking the restoration of their revenue rights, have continued their protest as the government moves forward with appointing the judicial commission.
