Karnataka notifies land reform amendment law

The Karnataka government will soon frame rules for timely implementation of the amendments brought to a law that aims to give agri-labourers rights over houses build on land not belonging to them prior to January 1, 1979, a Congress legislator K Shivamurthy Nayak said. On October 28, the state government notified the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 2016 after getting the nod from the President of India. The move will benefit 62,000 unrecorded inhabitants like Lambani Tanda, Gollarahatti, Vaddarahatti, Kurubarhatti, Nayakarahatti, Majare Grama, Haadi, Doddi, Palya, Camp, Colony among others. A separate fund will be set aside for providing basic amenities like road, public transport and drinking water once the inhabitants come under the revenue record and required budget for this purpose will be decided in the next session of the state legislature. As per the Act, the government will give a certificate of ownership to those agri-labourers who are 'ordinarily' residing in houses build on a land not belonging to him prior to January 1, 1979. The eligible labourers will have to register as owners of the house within a year from the date of commencement of the Act. They will be compensated in cash and the state will not incur extra expenditure for this.