Mangaluru, Nov 06: The government has issued a landmark order cancelling the lease of land previously granted to Pilikula Nisargadhama in the Moodushedde and Thiruvailu villages of Mangaluru Taluk. This land has now been re-allocated to the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science and Technology.
During a cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru on September 18, a decision was made to cancel the lease for 356.20 acres of land—which had been granted to Pilikula Nisargadhama—with the objective of further enhancing the attraction of the destination. Out of this total, 339.905 acres (339.90 1/2 acres) have been allocated to the Department of Science and Technology. In furtherance of this, the government has issued the formal sanction order, and the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops) document has also been prepared accordingly. In 2002, 15 acres of land in Moodushedde village, and in 2006, an additional 341.46 acres across Moodushedde and Thiruvailu villages—totaling 356.46 acres—were granted to Pilikula Nisargadhama on a lease basis for 30 years. This was intended for tourism development and environmental conservation projects, with a lease fee set at Rs. 100 per acre. This lease agreement was valid until 2036.
However, there had been a long-standing demand to transfer this land to the Pilikula Development Authority. Transferring the land to the Authority would have required the payment of several crore rupees to the government. As such a payment was not feasible, and following extensive deliberations, the State Cabinet decided to grant the land to the Department of Science and Technology, free of cost, subject to certain conditions.
Exclusion of 24 Acres
Out of the total 356.20 acres held by the Revenue Department, 339.90 acres have been granted to the Department of Science and Technology. A total of 24.43 acres has been excluded from this transfer; this includes land designated for public roads, land for which title deeds had been issued prior to the original lease, and land previously allocated to the New Mangalore Port Authority. Since the land was under the jurisdiction of the Revenue Department, Pilikula Nisargadhama was unable to undertake any independent development initiatives. Furthermore, there was no scope for engaging in public-private partnerships. Now that Pilikula Nisargadhama has been placed under the Department of Science and Technology, it has become easier to facilitate development, including through the use of sub-contracts.
Previously, Pilikula Nisargadhama paid an annual rent of Rs. 35,600 (calculated at the rate of Rs. 100 per acre); this rental payment is no longer required. Additionally, there were outstanding building taxes amounting to approximately Rs. 30 lakh, which were settled with the Grama Panchayat last year. With the land now under government control, there is also a possibility of an exemption from such tax payments.
“Until now, the Pilikula Development Authority operated on land belonging to the Revenue Department, requiring the payment of an annual rent of Rs. 35,600 as well as building taxes. With the transfer of the land to the Department of Science and Technology, the obligation to pay rent has been removed. Obstacles that previously hindered development work have been cleared. Opportunities for significant development have now opened up through collaborations with other departments and the use of sub-contracts.”