Mysuru: In a bid to make beetle leaf farmers undertake farming activities, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has decided to provide alternative lands to farmers of ‘Yele Thota’ whose lands were acquired by the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) in 1949 for the development of city.

On Wednesday, a team of MCC officials, led by Mayor M.J. Ravikumar and Commissioner G. Jagadeesha, in the presence of land losers, inspected  the land in Survey Numbers 119, 179 and 180 near Sewage Farm, identified for allotment to the farmers.

The CITB in 1949 had acquired lands from betel leaf farmers at Malalawadi, Kasaba hobli in Mysuru taluk and had given compensation only to land owners.

As those who were growing beetle leaf by taking the land on contract were in dire straits, the then government had ordered to provide 5 guntas land each to 245 SC farmers .

Honouring the Government order, lands were given to the farmers at Nachanahalli but the authorities failed to issue Title Deeds and other related documents due to some problems.

But, the MCC took over the lands in 2004 to dump waste rendering 98 of the 245 farmers loosing the land and the land losers have been demanding alternative lands along with necessary documents.

Mayor Ravikumar, who spoke after inspecting the land said that a proposal to allot five guntas land to each farmer would be sent to the State Government for approval after holding discussions at the MCC Council meeting to be held tomorrow (June 30).

He said “Mysuru Beetle Leaf is famous worldwide. The issue pertaining to provide alternative lands to beetle leaf growers was pending since a long time. Beneficiaries, after receiving the lands should used it for growing beetle leaf and for agricultural purpose only and cannot use the land for commercial purpose. If the beneficiaries are found using the land for commercial purpose, the MCC would confiscate the land.”

Former Mayors B.L. Bhyrappa, Srikantaiah, Purushotham and Pushpalatha Chikkanna, former Deputy Mayors Mahadevappa, V. Shailendra and Mahadevamma, Corporators K.V. Mallesh, Cheluvegowda, Shivakumar, M.K. Shankar, Haseena Taj, Ashwini Ananthu, Umamani, Ranthnamma, Assistant Commissioner Suresh Babu, Kumar Nayak, Executive Engineer Manjunath, Zonal Commissioner Javaregowda and others were present during the inspection.