Puttur: Dalits Demand Release of Encroached Land – Officials Act Immediately

Puttur: Dalits Demand Release of Encroached Land – Officials Act Immediately

Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP) Puttur, May 21: Dalits from nearby villagers held a protest programme at Kadaba in the taluk on Friday May 20, in protest against the failure of the revenue department to drive away encroachers from 20 acres of government land located in Aittoor and Nekkiladi villages, which have been earmarked for distribution among the dalits. The revenue department, which swung into action in the evening, announced that it had wrested back government land from six of the encroachers. The protest was led by Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkar). The protestors said that six persons from Aittoor and three from Nekkiladi village had encroached upon 20 acres of government land, and the incessant demand for their eviction over the years had not been met by the department. They demanded steps against the taluk tahsildar for his failure to take back the encroached land and hand the same over to the dalits. The protestors also accused MLA Angara, who got elected from Sullia, a constituency reserved for scheduled communities, of becoming a puppet in the hands of upper classes of the society and rich people, and thereby ignoring the interests of the dalits. When deputy tahsildar, Vishwanath Poojary, approached the protestors and assured them to convey their grievances to higher officials, the protestors refused to budge. They demanded for the presence of assistant commissioner. At around 3 pm, assistant commissioner, Harish Kumar, came to the spot, and promised them to recover the land in question within a week. Dalit Sangharsh Samiti Dakshina Kannada district president, S P Anand, organizing convener, Sanjeev, Dalit Seva Samiti district president, B K Sheshappa, and a number of other dalit leaders had participated in the protest, along with local people. The revenue department, in an operation undertaken on Friday evening, announced that it succeeded in taking back government land from six encroachers. They said that out of the balance three, one case is pending in the court, whereas in two other cases, they are unable to evict the encroachers, as residential houses are located in the sites encroached by these families.