Udupi: Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa inaugurated the new Brahmavar taluk at the tahsildars’ office here on Wednesday. He also inaugurated Byndoor and Kaup taluks in Udupi district.

With the inauguration of these three taluks, the total number of taluks in the district has doubled to six. Hitherto, only Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala had taluk status.

While Byndoor taluk has been carved out of Kundapur taluk, Udupi taluk has been split into three to make way for Brahmavar and Kaup taluk. Another taluk — Hebri — is in the offing.

At the inaugural function, Mr. Thimmappa said the aim of creating new taluks was to provide better facilities to the public. The new taluk offices will become closer and more accessible to people, especially in matters of land record, he said.

He also instructed tahsildars and revenue officials not to harass people while giving title deeds under Forms 94C and 94CC. He ordered the tahsildars to draw up a timetable, whereby the village accountants and revenue inspectors jointly inspect sites instead of making applicants wait endlessly.

He said merely having new taluks would not suffice if tahsildars don’t dispose of files relating to the Revenue Department expeditiously. The demands related to “paramboku” lands, of those living in lands marked as deemed forests, “gomala” lands, and regularisation of lands where places of worship are located would be considered, he said.

Though the government has dealt with the “moolageni” issue, it has got stuck as some parties approached the courts. The government will provide funds for the construction of a mini-Vidhana Soudha in Brahmavar, Mr. Thimmappa said.

Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, said that Udupi district had gained the most in the State with regards to the formation of new taluks. No other districts has been provided with four new taluks, he said.

A plot of four acres has been identified for the construction of a mini-Vidhana Soudha at Varambally in Brahmavar. Around ₹10 crore is needed for the construction, the Minister said.

On the occasion, Mr. Thimmappa also distributed title deeds to a number of beneficiaries.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLC, Sheela K. Shetty, vice-president of the zilla panchayat, Nalini Rao, president of the Udupi Taluk Panchayat, and P. Basavaraj, former MLA, were among those present.