In a major breakthrough for hundreds of families in Munambam, the Kerala High Court has ordered the state government to resume accepting land tax from residents — effectively restoring their revenue rights — after a relentless 410-day agitation over a contentious land ownership dispute.
The interim order comes as a huge relief to nearly 610 families who had been unable to pay land tax since the Kerala Waqf Board claimed in 2019 that the land belonged to it. The High Court made it clear that residents must not be denied their rights while the matter is under final consideration.
This follows the High Court Division Bench’s landmark ruling on October 9, 2025, which struck down the Waqf Board’s 2019 notification declaring the land as waqf property. The court held that the decision was “bad in law” — pointing to unreasonable delay, lack of statutory backing, and the absence of any permanent religious dedication in the 1950 deed. The court said the original deed was merely a gift deed, not a waqf endowment.
The Bench also criticized the 2019 declaration as resembling a “land-grabbing tactic,” warning that such arbitrary claims could jeopardize the property rights of genuine owners across the state.
For Munambam’s long-struggling residents — many of whom have lived on the land for generations — the High Court’s order marks a pivotal moment. With revenue rights restored, they can finally pay land tax again as they await the court’s final verdict in the high-stakes dispute.
