The long-standing land issues faced by the tribal communities in Thrissur district are now being systematically resolved. As part of these initiatives, title documents are being prepared for 44 tribal families at Olakara, with 1.5 acres each, District Collector Arjun Pandian has said.

“We had several discussions with local leaders, including Oorumuppathi (tribal chief), who pointed out that promises to resolve land issues are often not followed through,” he said.

A joint team of Revenue, Forest, and Scheduled Tribe departments, led by the District Collector, made multiple visits to Olakara to resolve the issues.

The land issues in Olakara date back to the 1950s during the construction of the Peechi dam when the Malayan tribe was displaced from the forest and relocated to Tamaravellachal, Maniyankinar, and Olakara. While those in Tamaravellachal and Maniyankinar received land title documents under the Forest Rights Act, those in Olakara were left out.

Attempts to resolve the issue under the Forest Rights Act started in 2008 but had failed. In 2021, the subdivision committee formed under the Act recommended granting land to the Olakara families, and the district committee approved it.

However, the Forest department opposed the decision, and the matter was referred to a State-level committee chaired by the Chief Secretary. Following government instructions, the process resumed, and a new survey was ordered by the High Court.

In November 2024, a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary confirmed that the Olakara residents, who had been living in the forest for over a century, were eligible for forest rights.

Land and facilities

In another significant move, 28 families from Anakkayam, who have been relocated to temporary shelters at Pothupara following a landslide in 2018, were granted land titles under the Forest Rights Act in November 2024. Construction of homes for them began in December, with completion expected by April. The process for relocating 41 families from the Veerankudi and Arekappu settlements to areas with more facilities and road access is in the final stage.

“As many as 106 landless tribal families have been identified in the district and the process of land allocation for them is progressing. Efforts are under way to electrify the 58 tribal households without electricity, mainly in the highland areas of the Athirappilly panchayat. The construction of toilets is progressing with the help of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the 163 tribal households that did not have access to proper toilets,” the Collector said.

To provide essential documents to the tribespeople, ABC (Akshaya Big Camp for Document Digitisation) camps have been conducted. These camps help the tribespeople secure crucial documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID, bank accounts, Ayushman Bharat cards, birth certificates, caste certificates, and income certificates.