'Jamma Bane issue used to gain political mileage'

CPM Kodagu District Secretary Dr I R Durgaprasad accused that the ‘Jamma Bane’ issue turned complex because of BJP. Now, MLAs of the same party are demanding for a public movement to solve the issue.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, he said, Jamma- Bane is being used to gain political mileage. The party which did not do anything when it was in power, can achieve nothing by creating public movement now.

“Ministers are completely dependent on officials to run the government. When the situation is like this, problems like Jamma-Bane can not be solved. It can be solved only through a public movement and we support it only if A K Subbaiah, who has studied in depth about the issue and struggled to solve it, assumes the leadership,” he added.

“In 1980s, in Chakkera Poovaiah case regarding the ownership of Bane land A K Subbaiah had represented the proprietor and succeeded in getting the land. On the basis of that judgment, then DC had issued a circular in the year 2000. But, because of dearth of political will power, the circular did not get implemented and problem remained unsolved,” he stated.

“During the BJP-JD(S) coalition government, then revenue minister Jagadish Shetter had issued a circular stating that Bane land belonged to government. Though the MLAs promised of mounting pressure on the government to withdraw the decision, it did not happen. Then, A K Subbaiah and Jammada Kurumbaiah formed the Bane Hakku Rakshana Vedike and called for Kodagu Bandh. The MLAs, who speak of public movement now had opposed the call given for bandh,” he added.

The BJP government brought an amendment to the Karnataka Land Revenue Act to impose revenue on the Bane land which does not come under agricultural land. But, the government could not implement it. Hence, the amendment was of no use for the public, he rued.