APMC chief demands acceptance of lease applications for encroached government lands

Hassan: Lawyer and former president of the Sakleshpur APMC, Kavan Gowda, has demanded that people in Hassan district be allowed to apply for lease of encroached land where coffee is grown.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, he said that prior to 2005, government lands were under unauthorized use and crops such as coffee were being grown on them.  He said that the previous government has made a law that the families can lease encroached land of more than 25 acres for 30 years. Applications for these were already being distributed.

He pointed out that while applications were being accepted in neighbouring Chikmagalur district, this was not being allowed in Hassan district. When the applicants enquired at the Tehsildar’s office regarding the matter, they were told that there was a “technical problem” over the online portal and that it was “not opening”.The applications, therefore, are now being submitted in another district.  However, he questioned the authorities as to why it was not possible to accept applications in Hassan.

He wondered whether this was being done for political reasons as the MLAs of the ruling party did not win in Sakaleshpur, Alur and Belur taluks and warned that if this was true “then the people are ready for all kinds of struggle under the guidance of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda”.

He said that the portal can easily be opened if the collector wills so.  But it has not happened till now. If the applications are not accepted due to so-called “technical reasons”, their validity will lapse in the next few days, which will be an injustice to the people. If rules are made, they should be made for residents of Karnataka. Discrimination is not ethical, he said. Prajwal, member of the Sakleshpur municipality, was present at the news conference.