Mangaluru: MLC Kishore Kumar Puttur said that he has highlighted the issue of unclear demarcation of forest and revenue land boundaries in the coastal districts during the ongoing legislature session.The MLC said that local farmers and rural communities have been facing legal and administrative issues for many years due to the issue. In Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, despite the govt granting rights to farmers for land they have been cultivating for decades, agricultural land near forest areas is still partially recorded as forest land in official documents due to a lack of proper plotting. As a result, farmers face numerous issues, including the inability to fully utilise their land despite having title deeds; lack of access to facilities like bank loans for agricultural development, crop insurance, and electricity connections; and unnecessary legal disputes due to discrepancies in land records. Beneficiaries from economically weaker sections applying for 94-C title deeds are not receiving them due to the forest department’s objections, the MLC explained.To address these issues, the govt needs to take the essential steps, such as conduct joint boundary surveys, establish district-level coordination committees, protect land approved under regularisation schemes, halt legal actions against farmers, and expedite boundary identification by appointing additional staff to the forest department’s planning and surveying divisions, he said.The MLC said he appreciated the forest minister on behalf of farmers and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh for the establishment of an Elephant Task Force (ETF) to control the elephant menace in Puttur, Kadaba, Sullia, and Belthangady taluks.
