JAMMA BANE LANDS

NEWS: Karnataka has enacted the Karnataka Land Revenue (2nd Amendment) Act, 2025 to modernize the century-old land record system for the unique Jamma Bane lands in Kodagu (Coorg).

ABOUT

• The act seeks to resolve inheritance disputes over Jamma Bane lands by aligning their records with the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964
• Ensure accurate documentation of current holders, occupants, and owners.

Jamma Bane Lands

• Hereditary land tenure system prevalent in Kodagu district (Coorg).
• The lands were originally granted by the erstwhile kings of Coorg and the British (between 1600 and 1800) to local communities, primarily the Kodavas, in return for military service.
• These holdings comprise both wetlands (used for paddy cultivation) and forested highlands
• Traditional Record-Keeping: Ownership is registered in the name of the original grantee (pattedar), and despite being passed down over generations, new owners’ names were only added alongside the pattedar’s name, not as replacements.
• This system created serious legal and economic problems, including difficulties in sale, purchase, inheritance, mutation, and access to bank loans due to lack of clear title.