Thrissur has made history by becoming the first district in Kerala to convert tribal settlements (forest villages) with individual forest rights into formal revenue villages.

District Collector Arjun Pandian handed over the official notification declaring Kakkinikkad settlement in Thekkumkara panchayat (Talappilly taluk) as a revenue village to the Oorumooppan (tribal chieftain) Anilan.

Separate tax register

As part of the conversion process, a separate BTR (Basic Tax Register) has been created for the land, enabling rightful residents to pay land tax like any other landowner. The notification was issued after approval from the Forest Rights Committee and the Subdivisional Committee.

Currently, 36 forest villages across Talappilly, Thrissur, and Chalakudy taluks have been granted individual forest rights. In the first phase, settlements like Thamaravellachal and Olakara (Thrissur taluk), Pothupara and Vettikuzhi (Chalakudy taluk), and Kalappara and Kakkinikkad (Talappilly taluk) are being transitioned into revenue villages. The process for converting the remaining settlements is progressing at a fast pace.

Minister’s announcement

This initiative follows Revenue Minister K. Rajan’s announcement on March 22 at a function at Olakara while distributing forest right titles to 44 families. The Minister had declared that the government would issue an order allowing tax payment rights, thereby officially converting eligible settlements into revenue villages.

With the issuance of titles to 44 families in Olakara, resolution of land issues of 24 families in Athirappilly panchayat, and the near-completion of rehabilitation processes in settlements like Arekkapp and Veerankudi, the Collector said that Thrissur was on track to become the first district in Kerala to fully resolve long-standing tribal land issues and ensure complete distribution of individual forest rights.