Karnataka to form district-level SIT to identify forest and revenue land: Krishna Byre Gowda

Mangaluru: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda stated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed at the district level to identify forest land and revenue land, and submit a report in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court of India.

Speaking after inaugurating the Praja Soudha, Taluk Administrative complex in Mulki, he said the issue of revenue and forest land has persisted for many years, and the government has taken seriously the difficulties faced by farmers in this regard.

A joint survey is being conducted to segregate forest and revenue land in areas that had previously been granted to farmers. All deputy commissioners across the state have been instructed to expedite the process.

Although land had been granted in the past, farmers had been facing problems for a long time as plotting had not been completed. The government has now taken the initiative to complete the plotting process.

Between 2018 and 2023, plotting was done for 1,948 beneficiaries in the Dakshina Kannada district, while in the last two years, plotting has been completed for 60,943 beneficiaries. Out of these, 23,620 farmers have been issued pahani (land records), the minister explained.

Under Sections 94C and 94CC, which deal with the regularisation of house sites, title deeds have been distributed to 2.20 lakh beneficiaries so far. Under the e-Pouthi campaign, which facilitates the transfer of land records from deceased persons to their legal heirs, 60,000 heirs have been provided with khata transfers, he added.

The minister also said that a special campaign was conducted to dispose of long-pending cases in Tahsildar courts. Of the 10,774 cases pending for more than two years, the number has been reduced to 130. Similarly, in Assistant Commissioner courts, the number of cases pending for over two years has been reduced from 73,624 to 2,299, he added.

The minister said that people no longer need to visit offices to obtain certified copies of land records. These documents can now be accessed online 24 hours a day through computers or mobile phones. Over the past two years, about 73 crore pages of revenue records have been scanned in taluk offices across the state.

To bring administration closer to the people and to remind officials that they are meant to serve the public, taluk administrative offices have been named “Praja Soudha.” An additional Rs 1.60 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of a compound wall and other necessary facilities for the Mulki Praja Soudha.

Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said sincere efforts are being made for the district’s development, with emphasis on investment and tourism growth. A Global Capability Centre (GCC) has been announced for the district in the recently presented state budget, and work on it will begin soon, he said.

He added that Rs 70 crore has been sanctioned to construct a new OPD block at the Wenlock District Hospital. Efforts are also underway to sign agreements with three private medical colleges in the district to provide improved clinical services at the Moodbidri, Bantwal, Vittal, and Beltangady taluk hospitals, which will help ensure the availability of more doctors and nursing staff.

DK MP Capt Brijesh Chowta urged the minister to resolve the long-standing forest–revenue land issues in Puttur, Sullia, Kadaba, and Beltangady taluks.

He also said approval has been granted for the development of the National Highway from Talapady to Kundapur, along with the construction of service roads on both sides. MLA Umanath Kotian presided over the function.