In a landmark move for the coffee-rich district of Kodagu, the Karnataka legislature has unanimously passed a crucial amendment bill designed to settle a long-pending and contentious land dispute. The Karnataka Land Revenue Amendment Bill, which specifically targets the Jammabane land issue, received final approval during the ongoing Belagavi legislative session on Tuesday, December 16.
Unanimous Approval After Deliberations
The bill, introduced in the Belagavi session last week, was formally taken up and passed without any opposition. This unanimous vote marks the culmination of a process that involved significant scrutiny and revision. When the legislation was first presented in an earlier assembly session, Kodagu's elected representatives, MLAs AS Ponnanna and Manthar Gowda, raised serious objections and pushed for key changes.
In response to their concerns, a House Review Committee was established. This committee was chaired by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and included the dissenting MLAs, opposition leader R Ashoka, Ashwath Narayana Gowda, and others. The panel held five detailed meetings for extensive deliberations before submitting a final report that incorporated the necessary suggestions, paving the way for the bill's smooth passage.
Correcting Decades of Land Record Discrepancies
The core objective of the amendment is to address irregularities in land documentation that have plagued Kodagu for decades. Minister Krishna Byre Gowda explained that the government discovered several changes made to land records, including entries in the Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC) title deeds, were not compliant with the Karnataka Land Revenue Act of 1964.
As part of the statewide digitisation and standardisation drive under the Bhoomi Scheme, there is a pressing need for accurate, uniform, and legal land records. The minister highlighted that various judicial pronouncements have also stressed the importance of maintaining lawful documentation. Consequently, the amendment empowers and directs tahsildars in Kodagu district to make essential corrections in the land records strictly in accordance with the law.
What the Bill Aims to Achieve
The practical impact of the bill will be significant for landowners in Kodagu. It seeks to formally correct the names of legitimate leaseholders and, critically, remove the names of non-heirs from land title deeds. This action is expected to bring clarity and legal sanctity to land ownership in the region, aligning Kodagu's land administration practices with the rest of Karnataka.
Welcoming the historic move, MLA AS Ponnanna stated that he accepted the amended bill on behalf of the people of Kodagu and the Jamma landholders. The resolution of this complex issue is seen as a major step towards providing secure land tenure and ending prolonged uncertainty for many families in the district.
