Minister for Revenue Kagodu Thimmappa has said that the last date for submission of application for regularisation of houses constructed on revenue land in rural areas under Section 94 C of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964 has been extended till the end of February 2017.
Earlier, the State government had announced to receive applications for regularisation till the end of November 2016. It was found that a major chunk of people residing on revenue land in rural areas were naive of the drive launched by the government to regularise their houses. The last date has been extended to ensure that more number of families are benefited from the drive, he told presspersons here on Thursday.
Mr. Thimmappa said that the officials serving at the gram panchayats, including Panchayat Development Officers and Village Accountants, have been directed to visit each household residing on revenue land in their jurisdiction, provide such families the application forms for regularisation and the documents that should be furnished with filled-in application, including the map and sketches of the property. At present, Rs. 6,000 is collected as fee for regularisation of house constructed on a site measuring 30x80 ft. The government will pass an order soon to reduce the fee to Rs. 3,000, he said. Mr. Thimmappa said that he had written to all the MLAs to personally monitor the progress of regularisation of houses constructed on revenue land in rural and urban areas. The tahsildars have been directed to conduct a meeting once in a week to review the progress achieved in this regard, he said.
Mr. Thimmappa defended the decision taken by the State government to impose restriction on sinking of new borewells on private agricultural land. In the wake of drought prevailing in the State, there has been an alarming dip in groundwater level. The sinking of borewells for drinking purpose and under the Ganga Kalyana scheme have been exempted from this restriction. However, farmers can sink borewells to save the standing crops on their agricultural land by availing permission from the Deputy Commissioner, he said. He said that the State government will set up fodder banks in drought-affected districts. Fodder will be purchased from farmers for Rs. 5,000 per tonne, he added.
