Ponnampet: Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah has criticised the move by the Revenue Department that has made it mandatory to follow the ‘Jamabandi’ of the year 1912 to fix revenue for a particular property and conversion of that property from ‘Jamma’ to ‘Sagu.’

According to the MLA, the move is illogical. “Kodagu Assistant Commissioner has been returning the files of revenue assessment and land conversion taking the excuse of Jamabandi rules. This is another anti-people move by the Revenue Department. The State Government must immediately withdraw the rule as it is not right and will put people to severe inconvenience, Bopaiah said.

As per government records, a Jamabandi is Record of Rights of a village. The Jamabandi register contains names of owners, area of land, shares of owners and other rights. It also indicates cultivation, rent and revenue and other cesses payable on the land. These records are documents that are maintained for each village within its Panchayat.

Addressing reporters at Ponnampet recently, the MLA said that in 2013, when the BJP was in power in Karnataka, it had brought amendments to Karnataka Land Revenue Act. As per the amendment, the Revenue Department has to fix revenues for “Baane” and other lands. “Now, earlier rules and regulations are not to be followed by the Revenue Department. People are being troubled in the name of regulations under the Jamabandi,” he said.

“The Kodagu Assistant Commissioner has recently returned hundreds of files pertaining to fixing of land revenue and conversion of land.

This is unacceptable and the officer’s move has put a lot of people under severe inconvenience. Many poor people have become the victims of official high-handedness and  they are visiting Revenue Department offices on a daily basis to get their records done,” the MLA said.

Bopaiah alleged that the Assistant Commissioner’s move will give room to corruption in the already corrupt department as the officials will extract their pound of flesh from poor land owners. “The Deputy Commissioner must intervene immediately and must not test the patience of the people,” he said and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the archaic Jamabandi rule.

Bopaiah warned that if the Jamabandi rule is not withdrawn within the next eight days, the BJP will lay siege the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and stage a protest.