DHNS
Mangalore Feb 17: Mayor Vijaya Arun and District-in-Charge Minister B Nagaraj Shetty visited the 'victims' whose dwellings were razed to ground by the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) officials on Thursday.
Mayor Vijaya Arun who visited the 'victims' early in the morning, assured them that she will try to make some alternative arrangements for them. To a query on whether she will try to get Ashraya houses for the 'victims', she did not commit herself. "I will try," she said and flayed the MCC Commissioner for razing down the 10 dwellings.
Former mayors K Ashraf, Shashidhar Hegde and Hilda Alva (who is also the corporator of the area) were present. Ms Alva said that White Doves, a NGO, has been providing food for the 50-odd 'victims' ever since their dwellings were razed to ground.
District-in-Charge Minister B Nagaraj Shetty visited the victims in the afternoon. Later, speaking to media persons he said that the demolition drive could have been prevented by the Congress as the Congress is in power in the MCC and the area comes under a Congress corporator.
One of the 50-odd 'victims', Ms Gayathri, sought to know why only their dwellings were razed to ground though there were a number of illegal dwellings in the region, for example in Mangala Nagar and Kettikal. Meanwhile, the Mayor has assured to open a Ganji Kendra (rehabilitation centre) till an alternative arrangement is made for the victims. sIt may be recalled that the MCC officials with the support from the police demolished 10 houses at Pacchhanady near Vamanjoor in the wee hours of Thursday. MCC Commissioner Krishnappa Poojary said that the houses were constructed in the land meant for dumping yard being set up under the KUDCEM Project and the people were orally asked to leave their premises on Monday itself.
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