The Karnataka government has issued a warning of disciplinary action against officials who alter land mutation records and issue eviction notices to farmers under the Waqf Act.

In a letter to regional commissioners and deputy commissioners, Finance Ministry Principal Secretary Rajender Kumar Kataria reminded officials of a recent meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The meeting took up complaints regarding the transfer of some land properties to the Karnataka Waqfs Board.

In his letter, Kataria pointed out that all previous directives from any government office or authority to amend mutation records were revoked in the meeting. Additionally, all eviction notices previously served on the farmers have been canceled and no further action is expected to be taken against the farmers currently cultivating the land in question.

The letter said that following the instructions of the Chief Minister, all reminders sent to farmers and landowners on or after November 7 have also been withdrawn.

The principal secretary warned that officials who ignore the CM’s directives and proceed to issue eviction notices will face appropriate disciplinary action. He reiterated that strict compliance with the CM’s instructions was mandatory.

The new directive comes just ahead of the November 13 polls in three key Karnataka assembly constituencies.

The controversy erupted when farmers in Honwad village in Vijayapura in north Karnataka reported receiving eviction notices after the Waqf Board claimed ownership of their land. Soon, complaints began coming in from other parts of the state.

On October 25, BJP leader Tejasvi Surya accused Karnataka Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan of ordering deputy commissioners and revenue officers to register land in favor of the Waqf Board in a delay of 15 days, which caused confusion.

In response to these claims, Jagdambika Pal, chairman of Parliament’s joint committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, visited Karnataka on November 7 to meet farmers from Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts who claimed that their lands were marked as Waqf properties. .

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Waqf Board has identified 17 monuments inside the historic Bidar Fort in Karnataka as its property, sources in the district administration said on November 6. These properties are among the main monuments of the fort located in the capital city of Bidar district. .

(With inputs from PTI)