Lands that were earlier classified as 'deemed forests' will be given to persons encroaching on them for lease, Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said Wednesday.
A total of 6.64 lakh hectares of the state's 9.94 lakh hectares of 'deemed forests' will be denotified and handed over to the revenue department.
The government plans to use this land to find a solution to the perennial problem of Bagair Hukum, which refers to unauthorised cultivation on government land. This is most prevalent in districts such as Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Shivamogga, Chikmagalur and Uttara Kannada among others.
"After the Forest department hands over the land to us, we will identify how much we will need for public projects such as hospitals. Five lakh hectares will be given to farmers," Ashoka told reporters.
"In Kodagu, 12,000 acres are under encroachment, 30,000 acres in Hassan and 45,000 acres in Chikmagalur. Coffee, cardamom and other crops are being grown. The land will be given to the encroachers on a 30-year lease basis. Of the encroached lands, 80 per cent of cases involve plots measuring less than five acres," the minister explained.
Ashoka said the yearly lease amount will be fixed based on the size of the land: Rs 1,500-2,000 for 1-2 acres, Rs 2,000-2,500 for 3-5 acres and Rs 2,500-3,000 for five acres and more.
"All these years, the encroachers have enjoyed possession of the land without paying anything to the government," Ashoka said. "Going forward, they have to pay the lease. This will help identify that the encroached land belongs to the government."
(Published 04 May 2022, 15:42 IST)
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