BANGALORE: The State Government has decided to set up computerised kiosks in 800 hoblis to issue "records of rights, tenancy and crops" (RTCs) to farmers.

Replying to Siddu Savadi (Congress) in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar said the kiosks would be set up in six months. RTCs were now being issued to farmers at taluk offices, and opening kiosks at the hobli level would help avoid inconvenience to them, he added.

To criticism by J.C. Madhuswamy (Janata Dal-United) that no computerised records had been issued to farmers in Tumkur district in the past six months on account of a software snag, he said new software would be installed soon.

Mr. Shettar said the Government was considering an amendment to the Land Revenue Act for regularisation of unauthorised cultivation in "gomal" lands (traditional grazing land in villages). On September 22, 2005, the Karnataka High Court passed an order against granting gomal lands for cultivation.

Replying to Kumar Bangarappa (Congress), he said over 22 lakh acres of land was under the category of gomal lands in the State.

The Government would file a review petition in the High Court or amend the Act to regularise unauthorised cultivation on gomal lands, he added.

Applications disposed of

Mr. Shettar said the department had received 21.85 lakh applications seeking regularisation of cultivation on "bagair hukum" lands. Of these, 17.2 lakh applications had already been disposed of. The Minister told G.V. Srirama Reddy (Communist Party of India-Marxist) that committees headed by legislators would be constituted within 15 days to discuss regularisation.

Mr. Reddy contended that the Government had scrapped the committees set up by the previous government, and it had now decided to form panels on party lines.

Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali) termed the delay in constitution of the committees as "anti-farmer", and staged a walkout.

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