The petitioner has filed this Writ Petition challenging Exts.P2 & P6 proceedings of the respondent rejecting his application for permission to construct a Multi Family Residential building in his property. His application has been rejected for the reason that property is described as 'nilam' in the Revenue records.
2. According to the learned counsel for the petitioner, the ground on which Exts.P2 & P6 have been issued is unsustainable. The case of the petitioner is that though the property has been described as paddy field in the Revenue records, at present the same is a dry land. The above is evident from Ext.P4 photographs. Therefore, he seeks the issue of appropriate orders setting aside Exts.P2 & P6.
3. After hearing the learned counsel for the petitioner, it has to be held that Exts.P2 & P6 are unsustainable in view of the dictum laid down by this court in Shahanaz Shukkoor v. Chelannur Grama Panchayat [2009(3) KLT 899] and Praveen v. Land Revenue Commissioner [2010(2) KLT 617]. It has been held by this Court that it is not the description of a land in the Revenue records that is decisive, but the present condition of the land. If the land has ceased to be a paddy field on the date of coming into force of the Kerala W.P.(C) No.19632 of 2014 2 Conservation of Paddy Land and Wet Land Act, 2008, building permit cannot be denied. A perusal of Exts.P2 & P6 shows that the above aspect has not been considered. Therefore, Exts.P2 & P6 are set aside. This Writ Petition is accordingly disposed of directing the respondent to consider the application submitted by the petitioner afresh, after conducting an inspection of the land of the petitioner to verify whether the land continues to be a paddy field as described in the Revenue Records and whether the conversion was made before 2008 and thereafter, to pass appropriate orders on the application in accordance with law. Appropriate orders as indicated above shall be passed, as expeditiously as possible and at any rate within a period of one month of the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.
Sd/-
K.SURENDRA MOHAN, JUDGE.
AV