Karnataka - Madikeri   

Govt. abandons re-survey in Kodagu

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, JULY 19. A special re-survey taken up in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu to usher in uniformity in the survey system in Kodagu like in other parts of the State, has come a cropper. Several crores of rupees was spent for the purpose from 1978 to 1993 and almost the entire Somwarpet taluk was covered in a bid to replace the old "map" survey system in Kodagu, but in vain.

The "map" survey system involves measuring the area with the help of a scale, based on the sketch given on the map. The system has been followed in Kodagu since the time of the British, contrary to the "tippani" or the "measurement book" type of survey being followed in other parts of the State, information gathered by The Hindu revealed. The State Government had ordered the conduct of a survey based on "tippani" method with a view to bring Kodagu district under the system that was being followed elsewhere in the State, but it failed. The special re-survey was done by a team of expert surveyors from Bangalore, Gulbarga and other places. After 10 years of its abandonment for reasons unknown, many of those expert surveyors have now retired.

The Kodagu type of survey is not accurate like the "tippani" surveys done in the plains, says L. Narayanaswamy, Assistant Director of Land Records, Kodagu. Such a survey was ordered only in Somwarpet taluk to begin with. Kodagu district's topography would render difficult surveys based on the "tippani" method, he said. The Somwarpet re-survey would no longer be valid, as several partitions of property had taken place.

The implementation of the conditions as per re-survey would lead to complications further as people had been enjoying rights over their boundaries marked out according to the British type of survey in all the three taluks in Kodagu. The re-survey would alter the boundaries, if implemented. The "accuracy" factor could lead to some getting more land and some less in the re-adjustment.

Some could stand the chance of losing the entire land, leading to legal complications and disputes, landholders feel.

The process is also lengthy. After the re-survey, it has to be notified by the Deputy Commissioner. Then he recommends it to the Government for approval. This process could take a long time. Discarding archaic methods of survey and resorting to modern methods such as using the GPS apparatus and satellite methods would be of immense help, besides saving on time and energy, sources said.

The expertise of foreign countries whose topography is similar to Kodagu could also be obtained in marking out boundaries accurately, sources added.

Pending cases

There were over 10,000 "podi" (survey) cases pending in the entire Kodagu district, Mr. Narayanaswamy said. The survey works to determine the boundaries enabling a grower to get coffee registration certificates (CRC) and cardamom registration certificates (CDRC) was peculiar to Kodagu district. Of the pending cases, more than 60 per cent pertained to these works, Mr. Narayanaswamy said.

As against 68 posts of surveyors in Kodagu, there are 17 vacancies. Each surveyor is given a target of handling 18 cases or more in a month. Despite this, cases add up. In most cases, difficult terrains render the surveys difficult.

Over 600 cases of property registrations were being done in the offices of the sub-registrar every year in Kodagu.

They pertained to property partitions, surveys following court orders, settlement of disputes such as lands, roads, encroachments and so on. In spite of making the best efforts, cases accrued with regularity, Mr. Narayanaswamy said.

The much vaunted microfilming of the land records in Kodagu also remained to be carried out.

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