Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday said that Kerala has not taken up any work on digital land survey on the inter-state border and that the neighbouring state has requested a convenient date for consultations in this respect. The statement came amid claims on social media by a section of pro-Tamil activists that Kerala has unilaterally started land survey.
The TN government quoted a forest official's report that ruled out such initiatives on the boundary areas by the neighbour. The government said Theni district authorities have been advised to continue to monitor whether or not Kerala initiated digital land survey on the inter-state border. Theni district officials have been asked to submit a report on the matter, a Tamil Nadu government's revenue department press release said.
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Theni district is among the State's regions that share border with Kerala. According to the release, Kerala authorities had written to Theni officials on their proposed move to conduct digital land survey in villages - in Idukki district - that borders Tamil Nadu. Such villages in Idukki's Udumbanshola taluk are Chinnakkanal, Sathurangaparai, Karunapuram and Santhanparai. The work in such inter-state border areas constitute Kerala's proposed preliminary phase of survey.
Kerala officials requested Theni district land survey authorities to keep records related to inter-state borders ready and apprise them on a date suitable for joint consultations. The TN government said that Theni district authorities would look into the matter, decide on a date for joint consultations and write to counterparts in Thodupuzha, falling under Idukki district of Kerala.
On November 1, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the revenue department's digital resurvey project, called 'Ente Bhoomi' (my land), which aims to identify and provide plots to over three lakh landless families in the state. (PTI)
