JOIN USVillagers oppose acquisition of temple land for pvt institutions
The residents of Hinkal village, on the outskirts of the city, observed a bandh and staged a blockade of the Mysuru-Hunsur highway, on Tuesday, to oppose the attempts of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to acquire the lands, including a pond of a temple, to be alloted to a couple private institutions.
Hundreds of villagers gathered on the highway and formed a human chain, before blocking the road, while the commercial establishments of the village remained closed.
"The Nanneshwara Swamy temple in the village has a history of hundreds of years. It is believed to be 1,500 years old. Around 15 acres of the land belongs to the temple, including the pond, the kalyani. The members of the Yuva Brigade of the village had cleaned and renovated the pond two years back. Now, a part of the temple land has been alloted by MUDA to Vidyashrama Education Foundation and Immaculate Heart Convent," said Lohit Urs, a local leader.
H C Raju, a member of Hinkal Gram Panchayat, said that in 2013 itself, a memorandum had been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, MUDA chairman, MUDA commissioner, MLA, MP, and others concerned to save the temple lands.
"However, the lands have been alloted to the private institutions. On January 15, on the occasion of Sankranthi, MUDA Chairman D Dhruvakumar and Congress leader Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah had held a meeting with the leaders of the village and had assured that the lands would be retained for the temple. But they have not kept their words," he said.
Officials pacify
Dhruvakumar and MUDA commissioner Kantharaju visited the village to pacify the agitators and assured of retaining the lands with the temple on Tuesday.
"A meeting of MUDA will be held on March 13 and a decision on the lands will be taken. Steps will be taken to provide alternative lands to the institutions," said Dhruvakumar.
K G Nagaraju, Shivanna, Ganesh, Manju, Nalini Urs, Arpitha Simha, Mapanna and other leaders of the village lead the protests.