Kodagu Jamma land: CM blames Congress

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy today launched a sca-thing attack on the Congress, holding it responsible for the Jamma bane land crisis in Kodagu.
Talking to media persons after a meeting with top officials and people’s representatives, the Chief Minister fumed at the Congress leaders for dubbing him ‘helpless’ in solving the Jamma crisis.
“People in Kodagu were enjoying rights over Jamma lands since generations. It was the same Congress politicians who snatched away their rights, formulating rules, sitting in AC rooms,” Kumaraswamy said and remarked that the same Congress leaders had now started giving free advice to him.
Kumaraswamy said that he would hold a meeting with Revenue and Forest Department officials tomorrow to find a solution to the problem.
Kodagu District in-charge Minister Ramachandregowda, MLA K.G. Bopaiah, MLC Arun Machaiah, Kodagu Zilla Panchayat President H.S. Ashok, member Manu Muthappa, District BJP General Secretary Ravi Kushalappa, Madikeri Taluk BJP President Bellu Somaiah, General Secretary Ravi Basappa and Taluk Panchayat President T.A. Kishore Kumar attended the meeting. Two other MLAs from Kodagu — Basavaraj and B.A. Jeevijaya — did not attend.
Though the burning issue still exists without any remedy from the Government, another circular issued by the State Revenue Under Secretary Ishwar Naik has created chaos in the Kodagu co-operative banking sector especially, the primary land development banks.
The circular again confirms that the Jamma lands of Kodagu belong to the Government. The banks are ordered not to provide loans to any Jamma land holder in the district.
The circular was sent to the Deputy Commissioner and all the Revenue Officers in the district. The revenue authorities instructed all the co-operative banks not to release loans to the Jamma holders.
More than Rs. 2 crore worth transaction becomes standstill without the disbursement of loans, especially in the three PLD banks in three taluks.
The circular has the name of Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar, but is not signed by him. The signature clearly reveals the name of the Under Secretary Ishwar Naik.