The Karnataka government has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against those officials who alter land transfer records and serve eviction notices to farmers under the Waqf Act.

In a letter, Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department, Rajender Kumar Kataria, reminded all regional commissioners and deputy commissioners in the districts that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently held a meeting following complaints regarding certain land properties in favor of the council Waqfs of Karnataka.

The meeting decided that all instructions issued earlier by any office or government authority to change mutation records have been withdrawn, the letter said.

He added that all the notices issued in the past have also been withdrawn and no action should be taken against the farmers cultivating on the said land.

As per the Chief Minister’s directions, the previous letters and last reminders sent on November 7 to farmers and land owners have been withdrawn, the letter said.

“The officers who served reminder-2 despite the Chief Minister’s direction will face appropriate disciplinary action,” Kataria said in his letter.

He said he was instructed to strictly implement the Prime Minister’s direction.

The fresh direction was issued in poll-bound Karnataka, where polls are scheduled in three crucial assembly segments on November 13.

Some farmers in Honwad village of Vijayapura in north Karnataka claimed last month that they were served eviction notices because the Waqf Board was claiming rights over it.

Later, complaints started coming in from other parts of the state.

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on October 25 alleged that Karnataka Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan had directed deputy commissioners and revenue officials to register land in favor of the Waqf board within 15 days, leading to confusion.

At Surya’s request, Chairman of Parliament’s Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal visited Karnataka on November 7 and met farmers from Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts who alleged that their land was marked as freehold Waqf.