Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Nov 3: Zilla Panchayat vice president Satish Kumpala has alleged that the health and family welfare minister U T Khadar has diverted the site granted for the landless people to erect a government college in Konaje.

Satish was addressing a protest rally organized by the villagers of Konaje at Konaje on Monday November 3. He alleged in his speech that health minister was behind the government move to reconsider the sanction of land and reserve the same to construct a government junior college.

Satish said that the revenue department ordered to grant 4.33 acres of land in survey number 108-8 for housing site in the year 2013. However the order was taken back, thus diverting the land to construct a junior college in the year 2014. He alleged currently the minister was trying to grab the land in name of building a college.

“The minister whose duty is to protect the interest of the people has blatantly abused power and he should be ashamed of this gross injustice. The land was reserved for the poor and the government has no right to derail the lives of needy villagers of Konaje," he added.

Satish also took a jibe at the health minister for failing to implement ban on gutka. The minister earlier had called for the complete ban on gutka, but the gutka sachets were abundantly available in every shop across the state, he said.

DYFI leader Sunil Kumar Bajal addressing the protesters said U T Khadar was infamous for weaving web of lies. He alleged state government did not have the list of landless people and the Congress leaders are trying to gobble the land for their benefits.

Though there was need to build a college for the education purpose, the decision of the government to divert the land reserved for the poor was not justifiable, he said.

The protesters marched from Mangalore University to Konaje Gram Panchayath.

BJP leader Yashavanth Ameen, JD(S) leader Usman Aksa Deralakatte, Sankappa Karkera, Gopinath and others were present.