Kerala High Court
Ashiq Rahiman M vs The District Collector on 6 August, 2025
Author: C.S.Dias
Bench: C.S.Dias
2025:KER:58672
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.S.DIAS
WEDNESDAY, THE 6TH DAY OF AUGUST 2025 / 15TH SRAVANA, 1947
WP(C) NO. 38069 OF 2024
PETITIONER:
ASHIQ RAHIMAN M
AGED 46 YEARS
S/O. ABDUL MAJEED, KINAVALLUR,
MARHABA, PARLI P.O., PARLI,
PALAKKAD, PIN - 678612
BY ADVS.
SMT.FARHANA K.H.
SHRI.MUHASIN K.M.
RESPONDENTS:
1 THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR
COLLECTORATE, KENATHUPARAMBU,
KUNATHURMEDU, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678013
2 THE SUB COLLECTOR/REVENUE DIVISIONAL OFFICER
PALAKKAD REVENUE DIVISIONAL OFFICE,
PARAKKUNAM, VIDYUT NAGAR, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678001
3 THE TAHSILDAR
PALAKKAD TALUK OFFICE, KENATHUPARAMBU,
KUNATHURMEDU, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678001
4 THE VILLAGE OFFICER
PARLI- I VILLAGE OFFICE,
PALAKKAD - PONNANI ROAD, THENUR,
PALAKKAD, PIN - 678612
5 THE AGRICULTURE OFFICER
PARLI KRISHI BHAVAN, PARLI,
PALAKKAD, PIN - 678612
6 THE DIRECTOR
KERALA STATE REMOTE SENSING AND ENVIRONMENT CENTRE,
VIKAS BHAVAN,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695033
WP(C) NO.38069 OF 2024 2
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OTHER PRESENT:
SENIOR GOVERNMENT PLEADER- SMT.PREETHA K.K.,
STANDING COUNSEL- SRI.VISHNU S. CHEMPAZHANTHIYIL
THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON
06.08.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
WP(C) NO.38069 OF 2024 3
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JUDGMENT
Dated this the 6th day of August, 2025
The petitioner is the owner in possession of
12.96 Ares land comprised in Survey No. 665/5 in
Parli-I Village, Palakkad Taluk, covered under Ext. P1
land tax receipt. The property is a converted plot and
unsuitable for paddy cultivation. Nevertheless, the
respondents have erroneously classified the property
as 'paddy land' and included it in the data bank
maintained under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy
Land and Wetland Act, 2008 and the Rules framed
thereunder ('Act' and 'Rules", for brevity). To exclude
the property from the data bank, the petitioner had
submitted Ext.P2 application in Form 5 under Rule
4(4d) of the Rules. However, by Ext.P3 order, the
authorised officer has summarily rejected the
application without either conducting a personal
inspection of the land or relying on satellite imagery,
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as specifically mandated under Rule 4(4f) of the Rules.
Furthermore, the order is devoid of any independent
finding regarding the nature and character of the land
as it existed on 12.08.2008 -- the date the Act came
into force. The impugned order, therefore, is arbitrary
and legally unsustainable.
2. I have heard the learned counsel for the
petitioner and the learned Government Pleader.
3. The principal contention of the petitioner is that
the subject property is not a cultivable paddy field but a
converted plot. Nonetheless, the property has been
incorrectly included in the data bank. Despite filing an
application in Form 5 seeking its exclusion, the same has
been rejected without proper consideration or
application of mind.
4. It is now well-settled by a catena of judgments of
this Court -- including Muraleedharan Nair R v.
Revenue Divisional Officer [2023 (4) KHC 524],
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Sudheesh U v. The Revenue Divisional Officer,
Palakkad [2023 (2) KLT 386], and Joy K.K. v. The
Revenue Divisional Officer/Sub Collector,
Ernakulam [2021 (1) KLT 433] -- that the competent
authority is obliged to assess the nature, lie and
character of the land and its suitability for paddy
cultivation as on 12.08.2008, which are the decisive
criteria to determine whether the property merits
exclusion from the data bank.
5. A reading of Ext.P3 order reveals that the
authorised officer has failed to comply with the statutory
requirements. There is no indication in the order that the
authorised officer has directly inspected the property or
called for the satellite pictures as mandated under Rule
4(4f) of the Rules. It is solely based on the report of the
Agricultural Officer, that the impugned order has been
passed. The authorised officer has not rendered any
independent finding regarding the nature and character
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of the land as on the relevant date. There is also no
finding whether the exclusion of the property would
prejudicially affect the surrounding paddy fields. In light
of the above findings, I hold that the impugned order was
passed in contravention of the statutory mandate and the
law laid down by this Court. Thus, the impugned order is
vitiated due to errors of law and non-application of mind,
and is liable to be quashed. Consequently, the authorised
officer is to be directed to reconsider the Form 5
application as per the procedure prescribed under the
law.
In the aforesaid circumstances, I allow the writ
petition in the following manner:
i. Ext.P3 order is quashed.
ii. The second respondent/authorised officer is
directed to reconsider Ext.P2 application in accordance
with law. The authorised officer shall either conduct a
personal inspection of the property or, alternatively, call
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for the satellite pictures, in accordance with Rule 4(4f) of
the Rules, at the cost of the petitioner.
iii. If satellite pictures are called for, the application
shall be disposed of within three months from the date of
receipt of such pictures. On the other hand, if the
authorised officer opts to personally inspect the
property, the application shall be considered and
disposed of within two months from the date of
production of a copy of this judgment by the petitioner.
The writ petition is thus ordered accordingly.
Sd/-
C.S.DIAS, JUDGE
mtk/06.08.25
2025:KER:58672
APPENDIX OF WP(C) 38069/2024
PETITIONER EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT P1 TRUE COPY OF THE TAX RECEIPT DATED
13.06.2023
EXHIBIT P2 TRUE COPY OF THE FORM 5 APPLICATION
SUBMITTED BY THE PETITIONER DATED
21.02.2024
EXHIBIT P3 TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER DATED 02.09.2024
ISSUED BY THE 2ND RESPONDENT
EXHIBIT P4 A COPY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PROPERTY
OF THE PETITIONER
