Tahsildar suspended for not issuing cultivation chits

It took just a couple of minutes for Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa to suspend a tahsildar based on an oral complaint by a BJP MLA.

In the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Kagodu announced that the tahsildar of Koppa taluk, Chikkamagaluru district will be suspended immediately for failing to give approval chits to applicants seeking cultivation on bagair hukum land. Bagair hukum land is a type of government land.

It all began with BJP mebmer Jeevaraj charging the Koppa taluk tahsildar with not issuing cultivation chits despite the government order. However he did not name the
officer.

Immediately, the minister said, “Keeping your complaint as the basis, I am suspending the tahsildar. There are instructions to officers to issue possession certificates as soon as applications regarding bagair hukum land are settled. Tahsildars have been empowered to issue pahanis (RTC). Those who fail to do so, will face action.”

The minister said 23,382 applications in Form 50 and 3,09,293 applications in Form 53 are pending for disposal. Hence, he said, the government has brought in the Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2017, before the House. The Bill has made a provision to extend the time limit to dispose of applications by another two years, he said. The Bill was passed by the Assembly.

When many members complained that the applications have not been properly attended to, Kagodu, in a raised voice, said, “I am not sure if the deputy commissioners are alive. They do not implement any government order. Officers have no knowledge of law. Their heads are filled with cow dung.”