Vedike calls for AGM on June 18

Mangaluru: Mulageni Okkalu Rakshana Vedike has called for an AGM at Don Bosco Hall here on June 18 following a significant judgement by Karnataka high court that upheld constitutional validity of the Karnataka Conferment of Ownership on Mulageni or Volamulageni Tenants Act-2011. The Mulageni Act confers full ownership on tenants and sub-tenants on payment of normative compensation.
Gerard Towers, Vedike executive member, said the AGM will be held to explain to the members the implications of the judgement and solve any doubts Mulgenidars have regarding their land and their rights. Vedike, started in 2008 with just 25 members, has grown in strength having 3,500 members now, though the affected are about three lakh-plus from Kerala to Goa.
Mulageni tenancy is mainly prevalent in Dakshina Kannada district. Mula connotes ‘root’. Muladar is the landlord or owner of the land. ‘Geni’ in Kannada means the rental amount payable to Muladar, either in cash or kind. “Normally, the tenant would pay geni in the form of produce every year,” says Bipin Hegde, advocate from Bengaluru. He notes that the unique feature of Mulageni tenancy is that a Mulageni is a permanent lease or a lease in perpetuity. Mulagenidar can also transfer the land to another Mulagenidar for consideration. The transfer can be without the permission of Muladar. However, the new Mulagenidar has to pay the rental to Muladar.
In 2012, the Karnataka Conferment of Ownership on Mulageni or Volamulageni Tenants Bill-2011, received presidential assent. But the dispute continued as landlords approached the court.
Hegde said the compensation payable to Muldars is illusory, the act is discriminatory, the act is manifestly arbitrary and massively unjust and others.