Bengaluru: Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that over the last two-and-a-half years, the state government has taken several key revenue-related services—such as podi durasthi, phouthi khate and the Bhoosuraksha drive—directly to people’s doorsteps, ending decades of hardship for farmers and landholders.
Addressing a press conference held during the monthly meeting of Deputy Commissioners at Vidhana Soudha, the Minister said lakhs of beneficiaries had received long-pending land records without even filing applications. “Farmers used to wait for years for podi. Earlier governments granted land to poor families, but the podi work was never completed. For the first time, we took the initiative to go house to house and complete it,” he said.
Decades of Pending Podi Work Cleared in Record Time
Gowda said that previous administrations issued only RTCs while withholding full documentation, leaving farmers without permanent records and making them vulnerable. After taking charge, he resolved to complete the work comprehensively. “The Opposition had challenged us, saying this cannot be done. We accepted that challenge,” he said.
Between 2018 and 2023, just 8,500 podi cases were completed.
Under the “Nanna Bhoomi” campaign launched in January this year, 1,49,600 lands have already been surveyed and podi completed within just one year. In Hassan district alone, 17,000 cases were taken up. To mark this achievement, a Samarpana Day will be held on December 6 under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Podi for Government and Private Lands
While beneficiaries of government land grants are being provided podi under the special campaign, private landowners too are receiving door-to-door survey services under the Podi-Mukta Grama initiative.
Monthly surveys, earlier averaging 90,000, have now increased to 1,34,000, offering significant relief to farmers and low-income families.
Huge Reduction in Pending Tahsildar and AC Court Cases
The Minister highlighted major progress in clearing long-pending cases:
- Tahsildar courts: Pending cases dropped from 10,774 to 526.
- Assistant Commissioner courts: Cases overdue by more than a year reduced from 59,339 to 9,954, after appointing additional ACs.
Phouthi Khate Drive: 40 Lakh Legacy Records Identified
The government also launched the Phouthi Khate Abhiyana to transfer land records from deceased owners to legal heirs. The state identified around 40 lakh such cases.
So far, 3,20,000 phouthi khate have been completed. To accelerate the process, each Village Accountant has been given a mandatory monthly target of 100 cases, with incentives for better-performing officials.
Bhoosuraksha: Massive Record Digitisation Underway
Under the Bhoosuraksha project, 53 crore pages of land records have been scanned, with another 40 crore pending. Around 17,500 pages are being scanned daily, with a February-end deadline to complete the work. Required resources such as scanners, computers and data entry operators have been deployed statewide.
The Minister said misuse and tampering of land records had pushed many farmers into distress. Digitisation will prevent damage, loss or manipulation of original documents. “Our aim is to ensure that farmers can search, retrieve and download any record online—verified and authentic,” he added.
Towards Complete Transparency and E-Governance
The Minister said the government is committed to full transparency.
“All officers—from Ministers to Village Accountants—must work only through e-office. Paper-based administration must end,” he said.
So far, 5,000 Village Accountants have been given laptops with Cabinet approval. In the next three months, all VAs and Revenue Inspectors will be equipped, bringing 100% of department work under an online framework.
Modernisation of Survey Department
To modernise surveying, the department has already procured 600 rovers, and another 1,000 rovers are being purchased.
The aim is full digitisation and clearing legacy issues that have troubled the department for years.
Gowda said most officers are cooperating and supporting people-centric reforms. “We know the challenges, and we have delivered meaningful results in just two-and-a-half years. Much more remains, and we will continue making the Revenue Department as citizen-friendly as possible,” he assured.
Senior officials including Principal Secretary (Revenue) Rajendra Kumar Kataria, Principal Secretary (Stamps & Registration) Munish Moudgil, Revenue Commissioner Mullai Mugilan, and Survey & Land Records Commissioner Manjunath were present.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ‘ನನ್ನ ಭೂಮಿ’ ಯಿಂದ ‘ಪೋಡಿ ಮುಕ್ತ ಗ್ರಾಮ’ವರೆಗೆ: ಕಂದಾಯ ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ದಾಖಲೆ ಸುಧಾರಣೆಗಳ ವರದಿ — ಸಚಿವ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಬೈರೇಗೌಡ
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