Revenue adalats for SC/ST communities to address land issues

Revenue adalats for SC/ST communities to address land issues

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, May 23, 2016: The taluk-level SC/ST grievances meet held here under the chairmanship of Udupi Tahsildar Guruprasad. Dalit leaders Vishwanath Petri and Ramesh Kotian demanded clarifications over actions taken by the administration to clear the encroached DC Manna land in the taluk. Stating that there is massive encroachment of DC Manna land, Petri said the administration has been mum over the developments while real beneficiaries have been suffering. He said DC Manna land is the right of the scheduled caste beneficiaries. The land is sold by people who are not the owners, added Kotian.

The tahsildar said the district administration is authorised to take the land back. The transfer of land to any third party is an offence and action would be initiated. He said nearly 60% of DC Manna land has been encroached for government-owned structures like schools and anganawadis. He said the other beneficiaries who have encroached the land have applied under 50/53 to legalise their hold on the land. However, the applications of the beneficiaries belonging to other castes are withheld against clearing. The already legalised four cases would be called off as there is no such provision, he said.

He said that five acres of land in Havanje and six acres in Bommarabettu has been reserved for housing sites to be given to SC/ST beneficiaries. Around 1,824 people have been offered land for cultivation since 1970 to till date, of which 824 are utilising the land for the said purpose. Around 4.5 acres of land in Kota and Kutyaru have been left barren and there is no trace of the possessors. He said that Revenue Adalats would be held exclusively to sort out the land issues of SC/ST community people in the months of June and July. The DC Manna land has been identified in four villages and the land will be used to offer housing sites to SC/ST beneficiaries in future.

He said nine cents of land has been ensured for SC/ST beneficiaries under 94 C and 94 CC programme and the applicants should approach Nada Kacheri immediately to register their names.

The tahsildar said that 82 houses were partially damaged and five houses were completely damaged in the taluk due to rains that hit the district in the past few days. There are also cases reported over the loss of horticultural growths. He said there are 12 houses belonging to SC/ST communities have been partially damaged. They are given Rs 5,200 as temporary compensation package. The victim whose house which was completely damaged will  be given Rs one lakh and a house by the government.

Guruparsad assured to survey the land in Nadsalu, Padubidri, where many SC/ST families are struggling without proper connective stretch and Rs 50 lakh has been released for the purpose.