Training on joint survey of land held in Shivamogga

Shivamogga

Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegade has instructed the officers of the Revenue and Forest Departments to conduct the joint survey of lands in the presence of local people without yielding to any pressure.

The survey aims to de-reserve forest land for the rehabilitation of people displaced due to the Sharavati Hydroelectric Project.

He was addressing the officers at a training programme held on the sidelines of the conduct of the joint survey in the district.

The people displaced by the project have been seeking a grant of land for decades. The State and Central governments held a series of meetings on the issue and decided to conduct a joint survey of 9,129 acres of forest land in the district.

The district administration has formed 42 teams, each consisting of a village accountant, revenue inspector, deputy range forest officer, and surveyors. The officers should carry out the survey as per the land records, sketch, GPS readings, and the assessment of boundaries and the area that cultivators possess.

“The cultivators have to furnish accurate information. The officers have to take the local people into confidence, verify the documents presented by the cultivators, and enter the details in the prescribed format,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

He said that the joint survey was a significant work, and the displaced people had been waiting for a solution to the problem for over 60 years. “The officers have the responsibility of resolving it by carrying out a proper survey. The process has to be completed within a month,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

Chief Conservator of Forests (Shivamogga Circle) G.T. Hanumanthappa said that the officers had identified 341 blocks for the joint survey. He also gave a presentation on Differential Global Positioning System, spot mahajar, and other procedures.

Deputy Conservators of Forests Shivashankar, Prasanna Krishna Patagar, and Mohan Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Siddalinga Reddy, Deputy Director of Land Records Asha, and other officers were present at the programme.