DK administration to introduce online system for gun licence issuance

Dakshina Kannada administration will introduce an online system for issuing new and renew gun licence to farmers. Once the system is in place, the licence will either be issued or rejected with reasons within three months of filing the application, Deputy Commissioner H. V. Darshan said here on Thursday.

Interacting with farmers during a meeting, Mr. Darshan made it clear that the three-month time frame to issue new and renew licence is not applicable to pending applications. The validity of licence being issued now is two years.

The Deputy Commissioner said in addition to revenue department, police and forest department heads of the district will be part of the online system to scrutinise an application.

Earlier, farmers said that the administration is taking several months to issue gun licence, in some cases up to two years.

Udupi-Kasaragod power supply line

Referring to 115 k.m. long Udupi-Kasaragod 400 kV transmission line project of Udupi–Kasaragod Transmission Ltd (UKTL) which is underway, the Deputy Commissioner asked farmers to approach him in case the company is erecting transmission towers and laying the power supply line without paying the compensation. UKTL can not build towers and lay cables without paying the compensation to the private land owner under its power corridor, he said.

Mr. Darshan said that increasing the amount of compensation is beyond his jurisdiction as the government will have to take a call on the same.

Pouti khata

The Deputy Commissioner said that of 80,000 Pouti khatas to be done in the district, 32,000 khatas have been completed. Legal heirs of 12,000 properties are yet to be determined.

Some farmers in the meeting urged the administration to set up a monkey park and peacock park to prevent them from damaging crops. Monkey menace has increased over the years resulting in crop loss such as in coconut, arecanut and other horticultural crops.

A forest department official told the meeting that the proposal to set up elephant task force at Gundya and Sullia is awaiting the approval of the finance department. The approval is expected in a few days, the official said.