60 years since NLC land acquisition, over 3,500 families finally get their settlement pattas

TN CM Stalin distributes 'settlement pattas' to 3,543 beneficiaries whose land was acquired for NLC in Cuddalore. He also launched facility for land-owners to apply for measuring their land F-line online. He inaugurated new buildings for Revenue Dept. at ₹14.86 crore.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday launched the distribution of ‘settlement pattas’ to 3,543 beneficiaries, whose land was acquired for the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) in Cuddalore district about 60 years ago. The beneficiaries were given settlement pattas for the land given to them in lieu of their land acquired for the NLC.

When land was acquired for the NLC in 1959, people therein were relocated to Vijayamanagaram and Pudhukooraipettai near Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district. However, the ‘settlement’ process had not been undertaken for several years until May 2022, when the State government issued a GO to benefit over 3,000 families, an official release said.

Without the ‘settlement pattas’ for over 60 years, these families had no revenue records of their land. With the grant of settlement pattas, the landowners would have absolute power over their land.

At another event, Mr. Stalin launched the facility for land-owners to apply for measuring their land F-line online. Landowners could log on to https://tamilnilam.tn.gov.in/citizen to apply for measuring their land by revenue officials.

“With this facility, people need not visit the taluk office for availing themselves of this service. They could make the payment for the service online without going to banks,” an official release said. The day fixed for measuring the land would be intimated to an applicant through a message sent to their mobile phones.

Once the measurement is made, the report/map would be made available on the portal, https://eservices.tn.gov.in/, managed by the Revenue Department, it said. Earlier, people had to visit the survey office for applying, make the payment at banks, and produce the challans in the survey office before the measurement was made.

The Chief Minister also virtually inaugurated new buildings constructed for the Revenue Department at various places across the State at a total cost of ₹14.86 crore. Ministers M.R.K. Panneerselvam, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, R. Gandhi and C.V. Ganesan, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and senior officials were also present at these events held at the Secretariat in Chennai.