Karnataka’s Kodagu district has a unique system of land ownership called Jamma Bane where the land records contain the names of original grantees even when bequeathed to new generations. The absence of officially recognised land ownership documents has created issues for current owners.

The amendment is aimed at modernising the land records in Coorg, which is in Kodagu district. Wikimedia Commons

The Karnataka government has amended its land revenue law to modernise an age-old system of land records in the scenic Coorg region, home to the indigenous Kodava community.

Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot gave his assent to the Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Act, 2025 on January 7, and the state government issued a gazette notification the following day.

The amendment is aimed at modernising the land records for the unique Jamma Bane land holdings in Coorg, which is now in Kodagu district.

In this region, families have passed down land grants from the time of the British and Kodava kings for generations. But the records contained the names of original grantees (pattedars) even when bequeathed to new generations.

The absence of officially recognised land ownership documents made it difficult for current owners to buy or sell land or to secure bank loans.

What exactly are Jamma Bane lands, and how does the new law plan to address the issues arising out of this unique system of records? The Indian Express explains.

What are Jamma Bane lands of Kodagu or Coorg?

The Jamma Bane tenure is a form of land holding prevalent in Kodagu district which is distinctly different from other classes of land holdings in the state. The word Jamma means hereditary.

These Jamma lands were originally granted by erstwhile kings of Coorg and the British — between 1600 and 1800 — to local communities in return for military service.

The Jamma lands comprise both wetlands, used for paddy cultivation, and forested highlands, which have transformed into the now-famous coffee estates of Coorg.

The Jamma Bane land ownership is registered in the name of the original pattedar from a family. Over generations, the names of the new owners are added alongside the name of the pattedar. The land ownership name could not be changed to reflect new owners.

The Coorg Land Revenue and Regulations Act, 1899 was in place to govern land ownership in the region till the introduction of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. However, some provisions of the 1899 Act were continued in Kodagu despite the absence of these provisions in the Karnataka Land Revenue Act of 1964.

A S Ponnana, the Congress MLA from Virajpet, said during a debate in the Karnataka Assembly: “The name of the family head (pattedar) continues in the land records even after death and even after 40 to 50 years of change (of owners). This has been continued as a tradition. This has continued despite the lack of provisions in the Karnataka Land Revenue Act.”

The ownership rights of the people of Kodagu over the Jamma Bane lands in the region was recognised by a full bench of the Karnataka HC in 1993 in Chekkera Poovaiah vs State of Karnataka.

In 2024, the Karnataka HC upheld the Karnataka Land Revenue (Third Amendment) Act, 2011 which gave full ownership rights over Jamma Bane lands in Kodagu to Kodava families.

“It is clear that by way of the amendment what is achieved is to grant full ownership of the land to the Kodava family, including all division holders i.e., all members of the family, in a land which earlier had stood vested in the government and the government was the owner thereof,” the Karnataka HC ruled in a plea where it was argued that amendments made in 2011 would violate the land traditions and customs of the Kodava community.

Why was the Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025 introduced?

“Historically, these lands have been held and enjoyed on the basis of customary rights by members of joint families, often without clear entries in the Record of Rights. With the passage of time, complications have arisen in maintaining accurate records of ownership, inheritance, survivorship and alienations pertaining to Jamma Bane holdings,” says the statement of objects and reasons for the draft of the Bill that was tabled in the August 2025 monsoon session of the Karnataka Assembly.

“In particular, the absence of explicit provisions in the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act 12 of 1964), to record the rights of joint family members in such holdings has led to difficulties in mutation, registration, inheritance and maintenance of revenue records,” stated the draft Bill.

This led to numerous disputes regarding succession, alienation and privileges attached to Jamma Bane lands. “It has therefore become necessary to provide statutory recognition of the peculiar nature of Jamma Bane tenure in Kodagu District and to ensure that the rights of all members of a joint family are duly recorded in the mutation and revenue registers,” the Bill stated.

The modified version of the Bill which was tabled and passed by the legislature last month — after incorporating the recommendations of a sub-committee of state legislature — states that changes introduced in the land records of Kodagu district were not consistent with the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.

The Bill says that changes made to land record on the basis of a circular dated 14.09.2000 had “resulted in anomalies in the classification and maintenance of land records, including entries in the Record of Rights (RTC), which are legally unsustainable and not in conformity with the prescribed procedure under the Act.”

“In view of the ongoing digitization and standardization of land records under the Bhoomi Project, and in light of various judicial pronouncements upholding the need for accuracy, uniformity and legality in maintaining revenue records, it has become necessary to empower the Tahsildars of Kodagu District to correct such inconsistencies in the land records following the due process of law,” the Bill has stated.

What does the new amendment do?

The new amendment to the law essentially empowers tahsildars (assistant commissioners of the revenue departments) in Kodagu to make necessary corrections in land records to bring them in conformity with the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 for Record of Rights containing “the names of persons who are holders, occupants, owners, mortgagees, landlords or tenants of the land or assignees of the rent or revenue…”

“This amendment will bring the land records of Kodagu District in conformity with law and ensure consistency with the rest of the State,” states the amended new law.

The state revenue minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, said during the debate on the new law in the state Assembly that local tahsildars would hold adalats to address objections before land records are modernised and finalised in the region to give land rights to owners.

The initial draft of the bill sought to amend sections 127, 128, 129 and 130 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 to allow inclusion of particulars of joint family members in the Register of Mutations in respect of Jamma Bane holdings; reporting of acquisition of rights as members of a joint family; empower revenue officers in Kodagu to recognize rights; registration of rights in land records and “ensure that relevant information relating to family tree, survivorship, inheritance and privileges is furnished”.

The final Bill, which has now been enacted, has only amended Section 127 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 by adding a subsection.

Subsection 4 states: “Notwithstanding anything contained in the preceding sub-sections, the Tahsildars of Kodagu District shall, on receipt of an application or otherwise, after following the procedure prescribed, and after conduct of enquiry as he deems fit, make necessary corrections or deletions in the land records pertaining to entries that were transferred from Column 3 of Jamabandi Register to Column 9 and 12 of RTC and consequential entries made due to such transfer thereof, to bring them in conformity with the provisions of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of this section.”

The bill adds a caveat that “any such order passed by the Tahsildar under this subsection shall be appealable as per the procedure prescribed under this Act”.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> Explained> Explained Law / by Johnson T A / January 15th, 2026