Taluk-level committees to prepare list of 'DC Manna' land

The committees including officials, reps of organisations to identify categorised land.

In a bid to find solution to the long-pending demand for allotment of ‘DC Manna’ land in the district, it has been decided to form taluk-level committees.

Presiding over a meeting held at the deputy commissioner’s office on Thursday here, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa announced that taluk-level committees will be formed in Undivided Dakshina Kannada districts, involving both tahsildars and the representatives of various organisations spearheading the demand. The committee is tasked with identifying the dedicated land (DC Manna land) available at each of the taluk and vacant land in case of non-availability of said land in the taluks, and prepare a list within a month. However, the decision will be taken either at district-level or at the government-level, depending upon the nature of the cases, the minister added.

Walkout earlier
The meeting had assumed significance as Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha had walked out during the recent quarterly SC, ST grievance meeting, after the representatives of various organisations insisted on allotting DC Manna lands, eventually leading to unruly scenes.

Chandu, a dalit leader from Belthangady, brought to the notice of the meeting that they have been waiting for due benefit from 1992. Barring the tenure of then chief minister R Gundu Rao, nobody has reaped the benefit in undivided district.

Another dalit leader Ashok Konchady disputed the claims of the district administration on the extent of DC Manna land in the district. Citing the information provided from the deputy commissioner’s office earlier, he claimed that a total of 8,000 acres of DC Manna land came under the said category against 7,117 acres, as told by the deputy commissioner.

Janardhan from Bantwal said that most of the parties have already encroached upon such land thus spiking the chances of actual beneficiaries.

Principal secretary of Revenue department Ramana Reddy, who had previously served as the deputy commissioner here, said such category of land dates back to the period of Madras Presidency, when the land was reserved for depressed classes. The deputy commissioners had the prerogative to allot such land. Even in the case of allotment of land now, the department has to follow a set procedure like announcing the list, calling for application and preparing the list of eligibles as per the roster system.

Madras Presidency
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha explained the legal hurdles in the form of Land Reforms Act, sans such land. When the region was under the rule of Madras Presidency, a total of 7,117 acres of land was reserved for depressed classes under DC Manna land in the undivided district. According to the guidelines then, the land was allotted after collecting amount as per the prevailing market value. However, when Land Reforms Act was implemented in the later stages, the said category of land was not incorporated in the same. Of the total extent of land, 6,435 acres have been allotted including the depressed classes, unauthorised occupants of land and also government departments, while the remaining is pending owing to the lack of supporting law, he added.

In Udupi too
Udupi Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis said, "Similar is the situation in Udupi too, where the said category of land remains to be allotted to beneficiaries".