Why in news?
The Karnataka government amended its land‑revenue law in late 2025 to modernise the unique Jamma Bane tenure system of Kodagu district. The change permits updating land records to include present owners’ names, addressing long‑standing problems with inheritance and property transactions.
Background
Between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries the rulers of Coorg (Kodagu) and later the British granted forested highlands and paddy wetlands to local families in return for military service. These grants were called Jamma tenure, and associated uplands were known as Jamma Bane. Under this system the land title remained in the name of the original grantee (pattedar) even when the property passed to heirs. New owners were recorded as “inamdars” or “hereditary holders,” but the pattedar’s name never changed. This peculiar record‑keeping created difficulties when owners tried to sell land, mortgage it or obtain official recognition of their rights.
Recent amendments
- Correcting records: The Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Act 2025 empowers tahsildars to enter the names of current co‑parceners (joint family members) in the record of rights for Jamma Bane land. This legalises shared ownership and simplifies mutation.
- Historic recognition: Earlier court rulings, including a 1993 Karnataka High Court judgment and amendments in 2011 and 2024, acknowledged Kodava families’ hereditary rights. The 2025 law builds on these precedents by providing a clear mechanism for updating documents.
- Expected impact: Updating records will ease inheritance disputes, facilitate land sales and help farmers access bank loans by presenting accurate land titles.
Significance
- Preserving tradition while modernising: The reform respects the historic nature of Jamma land grants while aligning them with contemporary property laws.
- Economic opportunities: Clear titles allow landowners to leverage their holdings for credit, invest in improvements and participate in formal markets.
- Administrative clarity: Proper records reduce bureaucratic confusion and improve governance in Kodagu, which has a unique land system not found elsewhere in Karnataka.
