RTI Revelations Expose Decades of Indefinite Forest Land Leases to Major Plantations in Kerala

New Right to Information disclosures obtained from the Chalakudy Forest Division have revealed that more than 3,500 hectares of public land in Kerala are currently under the control of private entities—specifically Harrison Malayalam and Cochin Malabar Estates—without any officially mandated expiration dates. The findings cast a spotlight on long-standing land administration policies within the southern state, highlighting arrangements that have persisted for over a century.

This unfolding situation traces its origins back to British-era allocations, with specific land grants originating as early as 1911. Over successive decades, these massive tracts were integrated into commercial plantation operations. Complicating matters further, records indicate that the Plantation Corporation of Kerala has continued utilizing a substantial 4,261-hectare parcel despite its legal lease agreement officially lapsing back in 2017.

According to investigative reporting by The Hindu, these transparency disclosures have triggered immediate concerns among environmental advocates and governance watchdogs regarding the oversight of state-owned natural resources. Civil society groups are increasingly questioning how commercial entities have maintained uninterrupted possession of vast ecological zones in the absence of time-bound lease frameworks or renewed contractual agreements.

Moving forward, these revelations are expected to exert mounting political and legal pressure on state authorities to conduct a comprehensive audit of all historical plantation leases. Lawmakers and forestry officials will likely face intensified demands to reclaim expired properties, regularize land tenure, and establish stringent regulatory protocols to ensure public assets are managed with complete transparency.