The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has finally decided to allot land to 245 farmers of Ele Thota who had lost their lands for the development of the city in 1949.

The MCC authorities, including Mayor M J Ravikumar, corporators and MCC Commissioner G Jagadeesh inspected the land on Survey numbers 119, 179 and 180 near Sewage Farm on Wednesday. These lands have been identified for allotment.

Mayor Ravikumar said that after holding discussions at the MCC Council meeting on June 30, a proposal to 1allot five guntas of land to each farmer will be sent to the state government for approval. “We have identified land near Sewage Farm and the same will be recommended,” he said. He said the issue has been brought to the notice of PWD Minister H C Mahadevappa who has promised to sanction the lands.

In 1949, the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) had acquired the lands in Malalavadi and Kasaba hobli for development of the city. In all, 245 farmers of SC community, residents of Ashokapuram, were involved in betel leaf farming hence the name Ele Thota. The farmers had obtained the lands on contract basis. Later, in 1976-77, the then state government had sanctioned land to these farmers at Nachanahalli and in Mysuru taluk but the authorities failed to issue title deed and other documents due to some issues.

In 2004-05, MCC had identified the same land to dump waste and took up various construction works. Corporators Srikantaiah, Sandesh Swamy, Purushottam, Mahadevappa and MCC Commissioner G Jagadeesh were present.