News: Recently, Karnataka government has amended its land revenue law to modernise an age-old Jamma Bane system of land records in the scenic Coorg region.
About Jamma Bane Land System
- The Jamma Bane land system is a unique form of hereditary land tenure specific to the Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka.
- Naming: The word “Jamma” means hereditary.
- Origin: 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.
- Components: The system typically consists of two land types:
- Wetlands: Used primarily for paddy cultivation.
- Bane (Highlands): Forested lands attached to the wetlands, originally used for grazing and firewood, but now largely transformed into coffee plantations.
- Ownership Structure:
- 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.
- Issue: Prior to this amendment, current “owners” struggled to sell land, register inheritance, or secure bank loans because they did not have clear titles in their names—the records still reflected ancestors from generations ago.
