A Invoice proposed by the state Congress authorities to result in amendments to the Karnataka Land Income Act, 1964, to deal with the difficult challenge of land possession within the Kodagu (Coorg) area, has been referred to a choose committee of the Legislative Meeting on the request of legislators from the world.
The Karnataka Land Income (Second Modification) Invoice, 2025, which seeks to facilitate trendy recognition of land possession by the folks of Kodagu underneath the outdated Jamma Bane system, was launched within the legislature on August 21 by Regulation Minister H Okay Patil however was referred to the choose committee on the recommendation of Kodagu MLAs A S Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda.
What are Jamma Bane holdings?
The Assertion of Causes for the Invoice says, “The system of Jamma Bane tenure is a particular type of holding prevalent in Kodagu district, from different courses of land within the state. Traditionally, these lands have been held and loved on the premise of customary rights by members of joint households, typically with out clear entries within the Report of Rights.” It added that with the passage of time, problems have arisen in sustaining correct information of possession, inheritance, survivorship, and alienations pertaining to Jamma Bane holdings.
“Specifically, the absence of express provisions within the Karnataka Land Income Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act 12 of 1964), to document the rights of joint members of the family in such holdings has led to difficulties in mutation, registration, inheritance and upkeep of income information,” says the Invoice which was drafted on the occasion of the state Income Minister Krishna Byre Gowda – following a research of the Jamma Bane land holdings in Kodagu.
“Quite a few disputes have emerged concerning succession, alienation and privileges hooked up to Jamma Bane lands, leading to avoidable litigation and administrative delay. It has subsequently grow to be vital to supply statutory recognition of the peculiar nature of Jamma Bane tenure in Kodagu district and to make sure that the rights of all members of a joint household are duly recorded within the mutation and income registers,” the Invoice acknowledged.
The modification Invoice was supposed to amend sections 127, 128, 129 and 130 of the Karnataka Land Income Act, 1964, to permit inclusion of particulars of joint members of the family within the Register of Mutations in respect of Jamma Bane holdings; reporting of acquisition of rights as members of a joint household; empower income officers in Kodagu to recognise rights; registration of rights in land information and to “make sure that related data referring to household tree, survivorship, inheritance and privileges is furnished”.
“These amendments search to convey readability, scale back litigation, and safeguard the rights of all stakeholders in Jamma Bane lands whereas sustaining conformity with different provisions” of the Karnataka Land Income Act, 1964, the Invoice acknowledged.
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When the Invoice was tabled within the Meeting on August 21, minister Patil stated the 2 Kodagu legislators A S Ponnanna, a former state extra advocate common, and Mantar Gowda had expressed reservations about it.
Deletions, corrections wanted, says A S Ponnanna
Ponnanna, the Congress MLA from Virajpet, argued that the amendments sought to be launched by way of the Invoice to supply readability and recognition for Jamma Bane land possession in Kodagu had been “opposite to what must be accomplished.”
“What we need to counsel is that the place the heads of the household haven’t any rights, there needs to be amendments, and the place there are rights and the names of the complete household are being proven in paperwork, it needs to be amended. There must be deletions and corrections,” he stated concerning the Invoice.
“In Kodagu, the Coorg Land Income and Laws Act, 1899, was in place until the introduction of the Karnataka Land Income Act, 1964. Sure provisions of the 1899 Act had been continued regardless of the absence of those provisions within the 1964 Act. This has resulted in issues for the folks. These are difficult issues,” Ponnanna stated.
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“What is occurring is that the title of the household head (pattedar) continues within the land information even after demise and even after 40 to 50 years of change (of householders). This has been continued as a practice. This has continued regardless of the dearth of provisions within the Karnataka Land Income Act,” he stated.
Matter impacts future generations: Mantar Gowda
“We search a committee to look at the varied facets. What is occurring in Kodagu is that fifty to 60 members of the family signal an unregistered doc for a land. I might counsel that this doc needs to be thought of as a authorized doc with the opinion of the tahsildar. This impacts youngsters and grandchildren,” Gowda, the Congress MLA from Madikeri, stated.
“It’s a main drawback in Kodagu. The land is at all times held within the title of the unique household head. It’s a essential challenge. A great Invoice shall be good. The Invoice should not additional complicate points,” the BJP Chief of Opposition R Ashoka acknowledged.
“We’ll refer it to a choose committee. Income issues in Coorg are very difficult,” Patil stated whereas permitting the matter to be referred to a choose committee.
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The possession rights of the folks of Kodagu over the Jamma Bane lands within the area was recognised by a full bench of the Karnataka Excessive Court docket in 1993 within the Chekkere Poovaiah vs State of Karnataka case.
Final yr, the excessive court docket upheld the Karnataka Land Income (Third Modification) Act, 2011, which gave full possession rights over the Jamma Bane land in Kodagu to Kodava households.
“It’s clear that by the use of the modification what’s achieved is to grant full possession of the land to the Kodava household, together with all division holders i.e., all family members, in a land which earlier had stood vested within the authorities and the federal government was the proprietor thereof,” the court docket dominated in a plea the place it was argued that the 2011 amendments would violate the land traditions and customs of the Kodava neighborhood.