From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru: Nov 23: Severe drought has affected rabi crop in 100 taluks of Karnataka as sowing area has reached only 60% (20 lakh hectares) of the target area of 31.80 lakh hectares as on November 19. The area coverage was also less than last year (28 lakh hectares).

Against the normal coverage of 26.19 lakh hectares, the area coverage was also less this season.

Revenue Minister R V Deshpande, who spoke to reporters after reviewing the situation in the State with his department officials, said: “The dry spell is continued in the State and we are reeling under minus (-) 49% rain deficiency in this rabi season."'

However, he said adequate amount of Rs 220 crore was available with Deputy Commissioners to take up drought mitigation works in the affected taluks.

He said the Revenue Department has conducted a ‘File Disposal Week’ from November 12 and 18 for clearing pending files and nearly 2.56 lakh files were disposed.

Currently, the minister said about 7.97 lakh files related to various issues across the State have been pending and efforts would be made to clear them in the next few months.

To reach out to the people, the Revenue Department, which is considered as the ‘mother department’ in the government, has decided to constitute four Cabinet sub-committees, one each for each division.
The district in-charge Ministers, and other ministers in the districts come under the division would be members of the committee.

A senior officer of the rank of secretary/principal secretary would work as the co-ordinating officer in the Cabinet sub-committees, the Minister said.

Deshpande said under section 94A (4) of Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, the State government has given one more opportunity to the public who have been illegally cultivating crops on the government lands.

The eligible persons can now apply in the Form 57 with required fee of Rs 100 and the last date for submission of application is March 16, 2019, he said.