A GPS-based survey conducted jointly by the Revenue and the Forest departments in Chamarajanagar district is expected to end years of confusion and dispute over land ownership and the extent of encroachment around BRT Tiger Reserve.
The joint survey covering nearly 22,000 acres of land was completed recently.
M.R. Ravi, Deputy Commissioner, Chamarajanagar, confirmed the completion of the survey and said the exercise had helped demarcate forest land from revenue land but it was only the first step.
Clarification sought
“I have sought clarification from the government on certain technical aspects and the question of clearing the encroachment comes next,” he added.
The Forest Department could be occupying revenue land in some places and it could be the other way round in other areas and the survey has given a clear picture, said Mr. Ravi.
The issue came to the fore when the Upalokayukta heard a complaint filed by K. Somanna in 2003.
The complainant had alleged that though they had been cultivating the land, Forest and Revenue departments authorities had not demarcated the land or taken steps to confirm their rights by mutating the names in the revenue records according to their occupation.
In 2003, the Lokayukta directed that the Survey numbers 2, 3, and 4 of Biligirirangana Betta measuring 22,640 acres and 6 guntas be taken up for a joint survey but it was not taken up.
‘Darkhast’ grant
It also came to the fore during the case that in the 1960s, nearly 300 acres of land was granted as ‘darkhast’ to tribal people and another 125 acres of land was transferred to the Revenue Department. But in the absence of records of the exact area of land granted, demarcation could not be taken up and the legality of the transfer of forest land was questioned.
The institution of the Upalokayukta was also informed by the Deputy Director of Land Records that the land under cultivation or unauthorised occupation had increased and was higher than the land released by the Forest Department.
However, the Forest Department in 2011 submitted that the Maharaja of Mysore had invoked provisions of Section 35 (iii) of Mysore Forest Act XI of 1900 and through a GO dated February 26, 1938 notified nearly 22,600 acres of land as forest area. Hence it wanted all grants to be cancelled, including the land transferred to the Revenue Department, and the land restored to the Forest Department.
The Upalokayukta noted in it order dated 2018 that the records indicate that an area of 22,611 acres of Biligirirangana Betta was declared as a reserve forest under the then Mysore Forest Act. Despite that the government of the day granted 425 acres of land as ‘darkhast’ in the 1960s, officials were unable to provide documents for de-reserving the forest land.
Also, based on the documents submitted by the Chamarajanagar district administration to the Upalokayukta, the order indicated that 56 people had been granted land of different dimensions during 2008 and these land come under forest area.
The Upalokayukta passed its final order on February 27, 2018 directing the authorities to remove all encroachments and restore the entire forest area as per the notification “within one month”.
But after three years of the order, the joint survey has just been completed and will help determine the forest area from revenue land and pave the way for clearing the encroachments.