BENGALURU: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has given officials a four-month deadline to settle hundreds of land dispute cases pending at the Tahsildar, Assistant Commissioner (AC) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) level courts for six months to five years.
“Why are the authorities following a policy of delay in disposing of cases reserved for orders, after trial?” he questioned. Speaking at the revenue department’s progress review meeting here on Friday, he said a total of 6,859 cases were pending at the Tahsildar court of Bangalore Regional Division. “Because of this, the public is flocking to the tahsildar’s office every day. About 4,000 cases should be settled within the next four months,” he told officials.
He took officials concerned to task for the pendency of cases across the state, with as many as 45,482 cases pending in Assistant Commissioner courts. They include Doddaballapur (5,683 cases), Bangalore South (6,129), Bangalore North (6,035), Chikkaballapur (3,014), Chitradurga (1,374), Davangere (152), Honnali (456), Kolar (5,112), Ramanagara (4,210), Shivamogga (613), Sagar (411), Tumakuru (7,354), Madhugiri (3,167) and Tiptur (742). A total of 10,065 cases are pending in DC courts -- Bangalore Rural (1,384), Bangalore City (4,974), Chikkaballapur (429), Chitradurga (1,711), Davangere (81), Kolar (102), Ramanagara (501), Shivamogga (73) and Tumakuru (697).
“If higher officials themselves do not settle cases in their courts, how can you expect effective work from tahsildars? Don’t set others a bad example,” he told DCs and ACs.
Will dispose of files in 2 days
E-office was implemented on August 15 to get used to technology and facilitate quick disposal of files, by abandoning the old letter business. “Henceforth, correspondence from all AC and DC offices of the state to the government should be done through e-office. If the files come to my login in e-office, I dispose of them in two days,” Byre Gowda said, adding that he will not accept physical letters.