District-level SITs to be set up to resolve forest and revenue land issue: Karnataka Revenue Minister
MANGALURU: As directed by the Supreme Court of India, district level Special Investigation Teams (SITs) will be set up to identify reserved forest land and revenue lands and submit a report, said Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering after the inauguration of Praja Soudha, taluk administrative complex in Mulki, the minister said that the state government has taken the long-pending issue of revenue and forest lands seriously, which is causing hardships, especially to the farmers.
"A joint survey is underway to segregate forest and revenue lands granted to the farmers earlier. All the deputy commissioners in the state have been instructed to speed up the survey. Farmers have been facing difficulties despite the land being granted, as the plotting was not completed."
"Now the government has taken up the work of completing the plotting process at the earliest. Between 2018 and 2023, plotting of land granted to 1948 beneficiaries has been completed, and in the last two years, plotting of 60,943 beneficiaries has been completed, out of which 23,620 land records have been distributed in the district," the minister said.
Minister further said that under sections 94C and 94CC, so far 2.20 lakh beneficiaries have been distributed title deeds. Under the e-Pouthi initiative of updating land records and transferring them from deceased individuals to their legal heirs, as many as 60,000 legal heirs have benefited from khata transfer.
He added that long-pending cases in tahsildar courts are being disposed of through special drives, and out of the 10,774 cases pending for over 2 years, have been reduced to 130.
"Also, 73,624 cases were pending for over 2 years in AC courts, which are now reduced to 2299 through special drives," he added.
The Minister said that the public need not run from pillar to post to obtain certified copies of land records; instead, they can obtain them online within 24 hours using computers and mobile phones. "In the last two years, over 73 crore pages of revenue records have been scanned through taluk offices in the state," he said.
The minister added that the taluk administrative offices are named as 'Praja Soudha' to bring administration closer to the people and inculcate a service-oriented approach among the officials towards the people. "An additional Rs 1.60 crore has been granted for the construction of compound and other basic amenities at the Praja Soudha at Mulki," he added.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the state government has prioritised the development of the district through investments and tourism.
"Work on the Global Capability Centre(GCC) announced in the state budget will begin soon," he said. He further said that Rs 70 crore has been sanctioned for a new OPD block at the district Wenlock hospital and an MOU is being signed with three private hospitals for providing quality clinical care in Moodbidri, Bantwal, Vitla and Belthangady taluks.
Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta urged Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to take steps to resolve the forest and revenue land issue in Puttur, Sullia, Kadaba and Belthangady taluks. Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian presided over.