Udupi: Karnataka District In-charge Minister Rizwan Arshad has directed officials to address hurdles delaying the regularisation of houses built on government land and the distribution of land grants in Udupi district.
The directions were issued during a meeting held at Vidhana Soudha on November 3, attended by Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Udupi district legislators and senior government officials. The meeting focused on pending issues involving the Revenue and Forest Departments, including house regularisation, Bagair Hukum land grants, deemed forest surveys and lease renewals for cashew plantations.
Delays in Form 94C applications raised
Byndoor MLA Gururaj Gantihole highlighted difficulties faced by residents seeking regularisation of houses constructed on government land under Section 94C.
He said several applications were being rejected by officials on various grounds. Many applicants belonged to economically weaker sections, and those whose applications were rejected were reportedly not being given an opportunity to submit fresh applications.
Revenue Department Additional Chief Secretary Rajendra Kataria assured the meeting that issues relating to house regularisation under Form 94C would be addressed on priority.
Technical team to visit Udupi
Following directions from Minister Rizwan Arshad, Kataria said a technical committee from the Revenue Department would visit Udupi district shortly.
The committee will examine problems concerning land distribution and pending surveys and recommend appropriate solutions.
The meeting also discussed delays in surveying Bagair Hukum lands approved by committees headed by legislators. Kataria informed the participants that a committee headed by the Regional Commissioner had been constituted to examine genuine applications for land grants.
Cashew plantation lease policy discussed
Kaup MLA Kiran Kumar Kodgi raised concerns over the renewal of lease agreements for cashew plantations, stating that the lease periods of several allotted lands had expired.
Responding to the issue, Kataria clarified that the government had decided to discontinue leasing government land for cashew plantations at concessional rates, a position also supported by the court.
However, those interested in obtaining government land on lease for cashew cultivation can do so by paying commercial rates.
Additional land for Varahi project
The meeting also decided to expedite the procedures for allotting an additional 17 acres of land for the Varahi project.
Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy directed officials to complete the deemed forest survey across Karnataka at the earliest. He also instructed departments to process applications submitted for land grants on priority.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Yashpal Suvarna, Gurme Suresh Shetty and Gururaj Gantihole, MLC Manjunath Bhandary, the Udupi Deputy Commissioner, Zilla Panchayat CEO and other senior officials.
The proposed technical visit and review of pending applications are expected to help identify solutions to the land-related difficulties faced by residents across Udupi district.