Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Jan 1: The forty years long campaign by dalits here has shown positive results. The deputy commissioner has cooperated to allot sites to dalits after Dalit Sangharsha Samithi joined in the campaign during the last four years.

Though twelve dalits families were living in Ambedkarnagar, Vaderahobli for the last forty five years, they had no title deeds. Therefore, obtaining basic necessities was difficult. The families were campaigning for title deeds during all those years.

Karnataka state Dalit Sangharsha Samithi Kundapur in the leadership of convener Raju Bettinamane too campaigned for the families for the last four years. The matter was urged in the district level meeting of Dalit pros and cons. Finally, six dalit families including Jayaprakash, K Meena, Chandrakala, Vasamathi, Shamala and Asha received 2.75 cent sites each under 94CC. As the families were unable to pay Rs 5,700 that needs to be paid to the government for titles, municipal council chief officer Gopalakrishna Shetty used his power and paid on behalf of six families Rs 34,200 from SC/ST fund.

Initiative by the deputy commissioner:

Udupi district deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis supported the fight for the title deeds. As Dalit families were living behind Ambedkar Bhavan for the last forty years, the land was sanctioned in somebody else’s name. The ones who were staying in the land were deprived of land records. The deputy commissioner who realized the situation held a meeting with sub divisional officers and Kundapur tahsildar and succeeded in issuing the title deeds.

The title deeds are yet to be issued to families of Pramila, Jyothi, Akkanni, Shukra, Gauri and Bhagi. The DC assured issuing the deeds to them. Dalit Sangharsha samithi convener Raju Bettinamane and municipal council employees union president Nagaraj conveyed their special gratitude to the DC.