Kerala is believed to be a paradise due to its lush green surroundings but this city is also experiencing high price rise due to the purchasing power of the NRI community. This city is being looked as the most ideal place for investment due to its connectivity to the major developed cities. Developers are really not willing to reduce the land prices in Kerala due to the high chances of growth. Prices of land in Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur are skyrocketing because of the major educational institutes being set up. Flats have also become unaffordable as the builders and constructors are looking to more and more foreign direct investments in the property markets. The concept of budget housing has really seemed to be impossible in such a scenario where the land prices are extremely high. A sizeable number of flats which are built by the constructors in Kochi and Trivandrum are also not being occupied due to the high price trends.
In order to prevent any frauds and discrepancies in the land buying and selling a Registration Department has been set up by the Government of Kerala which would also look after the genuineness of documents, afford publicity to transaction, ascertain regarding the transacted property and also check for the titles in case the original deeds are lost or destroyed. An increase in the prices of land has directly affected the affordability of the middle class for housing needs. The first and the foremost factor is inflation wherein the nominal value of all assets is rising and is contributing to the increase in land rates. The foreign direct investments are also coming in which are resulting in increase in the prices to a greater degree. Kerala is really attracting investors from the international markets but the land prices are becoming quite high for the Indian investors to make any investment.
Land is a basic necessity and serves varied purposes right from housing to cultivation. It is important to keep a check on the factors which are resulting in price rise so that land can be made available for constructing affordable houses for lower income groups. The prices of land are dependent on various factors and in order for the development of the economy it is important to make the land available for cultivation purposes. Though the Government of Kerala has declared the fair value for land on the basis of their location and access to public roads but yet a lot needs to be done in this regard.
| Land Terminology | ||
| LandScaping | Measurements | Resource |
| Conversion | Degradation | Maps |
| Legal Aspects of Land | ||
| Registry | Survey | Law |
| Reclamation | Rights | Securities |
| Acquisition Act | Policy | Land Act of India |
| Land Reform |