Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

12 more land tribunals planned

By T.S. Ranganna

Bangalore Nov. 7. The land tribunals have disposed of 4,94,218 of 8,40,171 applications seeking occupancy right over land under Section 48 A of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 in favour of the tenants. The extent of land involved is 21,03,566 acres.

The main objectives of the Act, amended in 1974, are conferring occupancy right on tenants, imposing a ceiling on agricultural holdings, and distribution of surplus land. Under Section 63 of the Act, the ceiling on holdings for an individual or a family is 10 units, or 53 acres of Class D land.

An educational, a religious, or a charitable institution, a society or a trust whose income from the land is utilised solely for the institution, society, or trust can hold up to 20 units. A sugar factory which uses land solely for the purpose of research or seed farm or both can hold up to 50 units of land.

According to sources in the Revenue Department, the surplus land in the possession of the State Government is being distributed under Section 77 of the Act to people from the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (75 per cent) and other landless people (25 per cent).

An extent of 2,69,046 acres has been determined as surplus land. Of this, 78,322 acres have been given to 21,533 persons from the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and 44,882 acres to 12,077 landless poor.

The remaining 1,45,802 acres of land is caught up in legal disputes. The sources said the department was making all efforts to expedite the hearing in such cases.

Under the Mysore Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1963, an extent of 13,348.19 acres of land was vested in the Government. These lands were handed over to educational institutions for maintenance, or for constructing school buildings and for playgrounds. However, the Bhoodan Act was repealed 20 years ago.

The Government is contemplating making some provision to allow tenants who were tilling such lands as on the cut-off date of March 1, 1974 to file their claims. This will ensure that the poor tillers get their due rights over the land.

Under the Land Reforms Act, the Government can constitute a tribunal consisting of non-official members for each taluk. One member of such a tribunal should be from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.

The guidelines have been amended prescribing a qualification of having completed 8th standard for the SC/ST member and pre-university course for others to ensure good and fair judgments.

A total of 7,528 claims are pending before the 176 land tribunals in the State. The Government is planning to constitute 12 additional land tribunals to reduce the number of pending cases.

No member of a family or a joint family which has an assured annual income of not less than Rs. 2 lakh from sources other than agricultural lands is entitled to acquire any land whether as land owner, landlord, tenant or mortgagee under Section 79 A of the Land Reforms Act. As per Section 79 B, no person other than a person cultivating the land personally is entitled to hold land. Transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists is completely banned under Section 80 of the Act.

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