Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa has asked officials of the Forest and Revenue departments to take measures to confer title deeds under the Forest Rights Act to at least 50,000 farmers in the district by December-end.
He was speaking at a meeting held in the city on Thursday to review the progress of implementation of development works.
More than 89,000 farmers in the district have sought title deeds under the Act. Work on surveying the lands in question and fixing of boundaries is under way. After the village-level forest rights committees approve the applications, the sub-divisional level committee headed by the assistant commissioner should take measures to confer title deeds fast, the Minister said.
He warned of stern action against officials who delay disposal of applications on flimsy grounds. He said officials should provide proper information to farmers on fee payment and on furnishing records related to domicile.
Mr. Thimmappa said that owing to the confusion over the jurisdiction of revenue, private and gramathana lands, there has been a delay in regularisation of houses constructed on revenue land in rural areas (under Section 94C of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act) and in urban areas (under Section 94CC). The confusion should be cleared by undertaking proper survey of these lands, he said.
The Minister added that of the 110 taluks in the State declared as drought-hit, six are in Shivamogga. Relief works should be undertaken on a war-footing in the affected areas, and officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments should submit a report on crop loss to the government at the earliest, he said.
Shivamogga MLA K.B. Prasanna Kumar, Shivamogga Rural MLA Sharada Poorya Naik, Deputy Commissioner V.P. Ikkeri, zilla panchayat CEO K. Rakesh Kumar and others were present.
