‘Expedite process of issuance of title deeds’

50,000 applications kept in abeyance in Shivamogga district: SDCC

Members of the Shivamogga District Congress Committee (SDCC) staged a protest here on Monday demanding that the district administration expedite the process of issuance of title deeds for the poor families over the land cultivated by them and on the land on which they are residing.

Addressing the gathering, SDCC president T.N. Srinivas expressed displeasure that more than 50,000 applications submitted by small and marginal farmers in the district seeking title deeds over the forest land cultivated by them under the Forest Rights Act have been kept in abeyance by the officials of the forest and revenue departments. The Act, though has provisions to confer title deeds even on the basis of oral statements issued by the elder person of the villages on domicile status of the applicants, the officials concerned have not evinced interest in this regard, he said.

The applications submitted by 26,000 farmers in Bhadravati taluk engaged in unauthorised cultivation of revenue land under form 50 and 53 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act for title deeds have not been disposed yet. He also expressed displeasure against the delay in regularisation of the houses constructed on revenue land in rural areas under Section 94 C of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act and under Section 94 CC for those who have constructed houses on revenue land in urban areas.

Mr. Srinivas expressed displeasure that more than two lakh acre revenue land in the district has been transferred to the Forest Department by considering it as a deemed forest area. The hasty transfer of this land has created apprehension of eviction among the occupants. The State government has recommended to de-notify 50,000 acres of this land and hand it back to the Revenue Department. It is unfortunate that, the officials have failed to act in this regard, he said.

The functionaries of SDCC also submitted a memorandum to Additional Deputy Commissioner K. Channabasappa in this regard. Functionaries of SDCC Ramesh Hegde, P.V. Vishwanath, Pallavi, and Ravi Kumar were present.