BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court declared that the Karnataka State Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission has no power to decide disputes over the title or status of immovable property.
Also, the commission cannot declare land to be forest or non-forest land, and order deletion of entries of the forest department from revenue records and order mutation or transfer of khata.
Such power does not arise merely because the person coming to the commission belongs to a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe, the court added.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order while allowing the petition filed by the Revenue department and others, challenging the order dated May 18, 2023, passed by the commission.
In the impugned order, the commission directed that certain lands situated in Seebi village of Kallambella hobli of Sira taluk in Tumakuru district be deleted from revenue records maintained in the name of the forest department.
It also declared that the lands do not constitute forest land and directed the competent revenue authorities to effect mutation and enter khata in the names of the respondents -- Pavithra and others.
Against this order, the revenue department moved the High Court, which set aside the order. The court said the questions about the grant, title, status of land as forest or non-forest land, and the right of Pavithra and others to mutation or khata are left open. They are to be decided by the competent authorities or courts, in accordance with law, the court added.