Koraga tribal community in Kerala set to receive land titles under Operation Smile project

Kerala Revenue Department to provide land titles to Koraga community in Kasaragod under Operation Smile project.

The Revenue department in Kerala, utilising the corpus fund of the Scheduled Tribes Development department, has initiated steps to provide land titles (patta) to the Koraga community, a scheduled tribe (ST) group in Kasaragod and Manjeswaram taluks. The initiative comes under a project called Operation Smile.

Kasaragod District Collector K. Inbasekar has directed officials from the Scheduled Tribes Development and Survey departments to measure and demarcate 193.557 hectares of land spanning 59 colonies across 16 villages. This includes ensuring proper documentation and transferring land ownership of deceased titleholders to their heirs.

The Collector said the initiative is aimed at addressing longstanding issues of missing land documents and undefined boundaries, which have hindered the Koraga community’s access to government housing schemes and left their lands uncultivated and forest-covered.

The Koraga population in the district totals 1,706 individuals across 539 families. Despite owning land, their socio-economic progress has been impeded due to the lack of clear titles and access to benefits.

Operation Smile will involve surveyors and officers from the gram panchayat, tribal extensions and village offices, as well as community elders and promoters.

Mr. Inbasekar said the district administration plans to complete the project within three months.

The initiative will be overseen by District Planning Officer T. Rajesh, District Survey Assistant Director Asif Aliyar, Kasaragod Tribal Development Officer K.K. Mohandas, and Assistant Tribal Development Officer K.V. Raghavan.