Bangalore :To make it easier to divert agricultural land for commercial and industrial purposes Karnataka assembly passed a Land Reforms Bill here on Friday.

As per the bill a deadline of 10 years will be given for industries to use the land.If they fail to utilize the land in given period they will have to surrender the land to the government.

The Karnataka Land Reforms and Certain Other Law(Amendment) Bill 2014 was introduced in the assembly by the Revenue minister Shrinivas Prasad.

The minister has modified sections of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1961 and the Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964 which permitted two ways of diverting agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

Section 109 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1961 has been modified by the Congress government. It  is done in such a manner that permission granted to acquire land for non-agricultural purposes under the law can also be considered as a clearance given under section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964.

The industries and organisations will no longer have to wait for the clearance to use agricultural land for commercial purposes under Karnataka Land Revenue Act if the bill is enacted.