'1,782 acre DC Manna land yet to be distributed'

Dakshina Kannada Jilla Dalitara Jameenina Hakku Horata Samithi, Mangalore, has alleged that the Deputy Commissioner has written a letter to Revenue department Secretary, dated May 10, 2012 stating that Depressed Classes (DC) Manna land which has been illegally encroached by the individuals can not be evicted and there is no Act which states that the DC Manna land should be distributed among the beneficiaries hailing from Dalits alone.

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, convenor Bhanuchandra Krishnapura alleged that Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda is following anti-Dalit policy.

DK district has 1,782.29 acre DC Manna land which has not been distributed among the Dalits. Though the law states that the DC Manna land should be distributed among SC/STs, the land has not been distributed so far. Hundreds of siteless Dalits had applied to the revenue department seeking DC Manna land.

However, the applications have not been disposed so far, he alleged. “If the land reserved for Dalits are encroached by non Dalits, then it will be a punishable offence under SC/ST Atrocities Act 1989. The revenue department has the responsibility to conserve the DC Manna land,” he said.

He further added that in the letter to the Revenue Secretary, the DC had said “about 7,577.16 acre land was earmarked, even before the independence, to be distributed among the members of the weaker sections of the society, of which, 5,794.87 acre land has been distributed so far.

A large portion of this DC Manna land has been encroached in the form of road, drains, school grounds, electric poles and so on. Though many had applied under Amendment to Karnataka Land Revenue Act, for the regularisation of the land, the applications are in initial stages of inquiry.”

The DC had said “Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964 and Karnataka Land Grants Act 1969 which has included Board Standing Orders of the Madras Presidency Land Act does not propose to include sanctioning of Depressed Classes.

As the encroached DC Manna land is used for the public purpose, it is not possible to evict them. Moreover, the land has been enjoyed by the Dalits, backward classes and others. There is no clear definition on depressed classes in the Land Act.”

Krishnapura said that according to Karnataka Land Grants Act 1969, about 50 per cent of the government land should be earmarked for the SC/ST beneficiaries.  However, the Act has not been implemented properly. According to the Act, the beneficiaries annual income should not exceed Rs 8,000 to avail the land.

Hence, there is a need to bring in Amendment to the Act and increase the annual income ceiling upto Rs 75,000, he added.