By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 4: The Karnataka state government has recently ordered implementation of a new policy that enables Tibetan refugees in the state to legally obtain land records with their names on it, for lands they have been cultivating for the past five decades.
All the District Commissioners of the three districts – Mysuru (Bylakuppe and Hunsur), Uttara Kannada (Mundgod) and Chamarajanagar (Kollegal) have been issued directives to implement the order and issue the Tibetans in those settlements the RTC (Rights, Tenency and Crops) record.
Under the new order, Tibetan refugees across Mundgod, Bylakuppe, Hunsur and Kollegal will not only have the land records under their name but are also eligible for loans, subsidies and other amenities previously availed only to Indian citizens. The order also issued a binding rider that prohibits Tibetans to transfer, mortgage or pledge leased lands to anyone else. The lands will continue to remain marked under ‘forest land’ in government records even though it is released to the Revenue Department and used for non-forestry purposes.
The land however, will not directly be leased to individual Tibetans but to Central Tibetan Relief Committee which will allocate the records to individual Tibetans accordingly.
The Karnataka Secretary of the Revenue Department told reporters, “Neither the CTRC (Central Tibetan Relief Committee) nor any of the individual Tibetans would be eligible to transfer the lease or mortgage or pledge the leased lands to any institution or individual, which will attract termination of the lease.
“With RTCs in their name, they can avail crop loans, incentives on agriculture equipment, farm loans, etc. We have already directed deputy commissioners of three districts through the regional commissioners to implement the order. ”
In 1961, the then Chief Minister of the state S.Nijalingappa allotted 6,142.25 hectares of land on lease to newly arrived Tibetan refugees. Lugsam Samdupling (Bylakuppe settlement) Tibetan settlement was also established the same year. Currently, there are five Tibetan settlements across Karnataka state which is agriculture based and are in favor of availing the state recognition under the new order.
