<p>The Cabinet on Tuesday is said to have approved amendments to the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, known as the PTCL Act. </p>.<p>According to sources, the Cabinet decided to insert a section to specify that no time restriction is applicable to SC/ST beneficiaries to approach courts, seeking restoration of lands granted to them.</p>.<p>In some cases, courts have dismissed cases of petitioners where the sale or transfer of land happened 25-30 years ago.</p>.<p>However, dalit activists have been opposing it, claiming that numerous such transfers had taken place 2-3 decades ago and that the legal heirs of the land grantees deserved justice. </p>.<p>The 1978 Act is silent on the time limit and there were demands to ensure that the spirit of the law is not diluted.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday had assured the SC/ST community that the government was committed to protecting their land rights.</p>.<p>The amendment Bill is likely to be tabled in the legislature on Wednesday. </p>.<p>The Cabinet is also said to have approved an amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, where cases pertaining to compensation up to Rs 1 crore would be sent to district courts, relieving the High Court of such burden.</p>.<p>With this move, the High Court’s pendency of cases in this regard will come down by two lakh cases, sources said. </p>
<p>The Cabinet on Tuesday is said to have approved amendments to the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, known as the PTCL Act. </p>.<p>According to sources, the Cabinet decided to insert a section to specify that no time restriction is applicable to SC/ST beneficiaries to approach courts, seeking restoration of lands granted to them.</p>.<p>In some cases, courts have dismissed cases of petitioners where the sale or transfer of land happened 25-30 years ago.</p>.<p>However, dalit activists have been opposing it, claiming that numerous such transfers had taken place 2-3 decades ago and that the legal heirs of the land grantees deserved justice. </p>.<p>The 1978 Act is silent on the time limit and there were demands to ensure that the spirit of the law is not diluted.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday had assured the SC/ST community that the government was committed to protecting their land rights.</p>.<p>The amendment Bill is likely to be tabled in the legislature on Wednesday. </p>.<p>The Cabinet is also said to have approved an amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, where cases pertaining to compensation up to Rs 1 crore would be sent to district courts, relieving the High Court of such burden.</p>.<p>With this move, the High Court’s pendency of cases in this regard will come down by two lakh cases, sources said. </p>