Over 3,500 hectares of land leased to Harrison Malayalam, Cochin Malabar Estates without specified tenure

More than 3,500 hectares of land have been leased to private plantation companies Harrison Malayalam Limited and Cochin Malabar Estates under the Chalakudy Forest Division, with the lease records dating back to 1911 without specifying an expiry date.The details emerged from official records released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the Chalakudy Divisional Forest Office in response to an application filed by Raju Vazhakkala, a resident of Kakkanad. The documents, provided by State Public Information Officer and Senior Superintendent Shijo C. Kurian, contain details of land leased to public sector undertakings, private entities and individuals for various purposes.According to the records, Harrison Malayalam Limited was allotted 2,453.73 hectares for rubber cultivation from 1911, while Cochin Malabar Estates was given 1,080.9632 hectares for rubber plantations the same year. The records do not specify an expiry date for either lease. Together, the two companies account for 3,534.6932 hectares of leased land.For 50 yearsThe disclosures also reveal that the Plantation Corporation of Kerala was allotted 4,261.048 hectares for rubber and cashew plantations in 1967 for a period of 50 years. The lease tenure ended in 2017, according to the records.Another allotment was made to the Aluva Settlement Colony in 1935. Of the 80.71 hectares allotted, 67.03 hectares were meant for the settlement colony and 4.05 hectares for a government tribal school. The Forest department has reclaimed 9.63 hectares of this land.The records also list land leased for various infrastructure and public utility projects, including the Vettillappara ferry bridge, the Dharbapadam Lift Irrigation Project of Varandarappilly grama panchayat, roads, an underground electric cable project, a pump house and a repeater station. Published - November 01, 2026 06:13 pm IST