The Bill passed by the previous United Democratic Front government in 2005 received President’s assent recently. The Cabinet decision specified that 90 per cent of the five per cent land being diverted should be used for mixed farming, dairying, cultivation of vegetables, fruits, ornamental flowers, and medicinal plants, diversification of agriculture products, and setting up ancillary facilities. Organic farming should be adopted for cultivation.
The land converted would not be transferred since it specifies that only the remaining ten per cent of the area should be used for farm tourism subject to an upper limit of 10 acres. The permission to divert 5 per cent of land would be a one-time allowance. Further diversions would not be permitted even in the event of partition (among heirs) or sale of parts of the estate.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the suggestion to allow farm tourism in plantations had come from trade unions when he was the Chief Minister in 2005. None had opposed the law at that time.
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