New Delhi: Another political war is simmering over land in Karnataka. The Karnataka government has proposed to allocate government and revenue land to Muslim burial grounds, and this has sparked a massive row. Opposition BJP has raised its strong objection to the proposal. There is already a huge conflict raging on in the state regarding the issue of Waqf, and now a new controversy has reared its ugly head.
The government has decided to provide government land for 328 graveyards in the state. It is moving forward to grant approval for the government land. Preparations are afoot to allocate around 2,750 acres of land, and the is a plan to convert government land into graveyards.
The project will be implemented in several districts including Bangalore, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi. Land is being given to mosques and graveyards under Waqf.
Revenue land for 328 graveyards
Earlier, the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government had issued orders to the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department in this regard. On April 16 last year, the then Additional Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh instructed the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department, Rajendra Kumar Katari.
The state-level Waqf Properties Task Force had urged the government to earmark revenue land for 328 graveyards during a progress review meeting. Dr Shalini Rajneesh issued directions to take necessary action in this regard. She also directed that if government land is not available, necessary measures should be taken to purchase private land and distribute it.
On the other hand, almost all the land around the state’s 34,223 C-grade temples is government land. Since 2013, the Dharvika Parishad has been submitting a proposal to the government to sanction this land in the name of the temple. The state has 5,730 ancient religious temples that do not have titles. These are still on the land of the revenue department.
