Madikeri: The Jamma Bane land Samrakshana Samiti has threatened to organise a "Kodagu Bandh'' on July 2 if the State Government does not withdraw the controversial circular issued by Principal Secretary, Revenue, S.M. Jamdaar by this month.

The October 31, 2006 circular stated that people of Kodagu had no right over "Jamma Bane" lands.

Speaking to presspersons here, A.K. Subbaiah, samiti president and former MLC, said the circular had subverted the order of the High Court in relation to Chekkera Poovaiah Vs State of Karnataka case in 1993, which stated that alienated "Jamma Bane" lands could be brought under revenue assessment. Such lands could be sold and registered.

Farmers were not able to avail themselves of loans from primary cooperative agriculture rural development banks (at four per cent interest). The district administration had stopped issuing of RTCs. The circular had "unsettled" the "settled issue," he alleged.Withdrawing the circular would solve other problems easily such as tree rights, Mr. Subbaiah said. A public awareness campaign would be conducted till July 2, from Kutta to Sampaje, to apprise people of the ill-effects of the circular, Mr. Subbaiah said. He sought the support of all communities, political parties, associations and organisations in the district for the proposed bandh.

Former president of the zilla parishat J.A. Karumbaiah said no one could deny the rights over land to the people of the district as they existed much before the coming in of the former rulers of Kodagu.

He took exception to the moves to term entire Kodagu as forestland by an expert committee, which was expected to submit a report to the Supreme Court. Mr. Karumbaiah said the committee had said that over 80 per cent of Kodagu was forest land. He said the samiti had filed an objection to the observations made by the expert committee.

A seminar had been organised here on June 15 to elicit opinions for and against the issue, Mr. Karumbaiah said.

Members of the samiti, Uthappa, Umesh, Durgaprasad, Nanda Subbaiah, Ganapathy, were present.

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