JOIN USThe State government proposes to expedite the process of procuring agricultural land for industrial purpose by merging the process of land grant and conversion.
A decision to amend relevant Sections of Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, and Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961, for the purpose was taken by the State Cabinet on Tuesday.
Sources said the government proposes to take up the process of granting permission to purchase agricultural land by industrialists and clearing land conversion applications simultaneously to reduce the time taken. At present, industries have two options to procure land for industrial purposes, one by means of land acquisition and second through purchase of land by obtaining permission under Section 109 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.
Under the second option, the proposals by the industries are scrutinised by committees at the taluk and State levels. Once land is granted, the industries have to apply for conversion of land use under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act. Industries have complained over the years that this is a time-consuming process and that it should be simplified.
A Cabinet committee in January this year recommended that land grant and conversion be taken up simultaneously. It also recommended that the process of scrutiny at the taluk and state levels be completely done away with. If this process is adopted, industries can get their land within two months after they submit their applications, sources said.
The industries have to utilise the land for industrial purposes within the stipulated period, failing which the land will be transferred to the land bank of the government.