Six Koraga families yet to get sites

They were displaced for road widening work

The members of Karnataka Rajya Adivasi Hakkugala Samanvaya Samiti, Mangalore and Dalita Hakkugala Samiti, Mangalore jointly staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Monday, demanding the rehabilitation facilties to six Koraga families who were displaced near Nanthur, while taking up the work on four-laning of road.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, CPI(M) Dakshina Kannada District Committee member Krishnappa Konchady, said the six Koraga families who were residing in Nanthur for over 80 years, were evicted from their houses, to facilitate the work on fourlaning of road from Surathkal to B C Road.

“Though the district administration had promised them of providing compensation and providing rehabilitation facilities, it has not been materialised so far.

Owing to the two consecutive protests staged by the organisations in 2010, the district administration had agreed to provide compensation amount, allotment of five cents of land and financial aid for the construction of new houses to these families.

The district administration also paid the house rent amount of Rs 2,000 per month for three months,” he i­nformed.

However, he alleged that the attempts made to get sites for the six families went in futile. Though the district administration had agreed to grant five cents land to every family in Saripalla in Padav Gram Panchayat and had submitted the documents to the State government in February 2011. However, no steps have been taken to give the land so far, flayed Krishnappa.

Claiming that due to the effort of the Dalit organisations, the documents which were submitted to the government has passed all the stages and is in the final stage for approval, he said the files related to sanctioning of land to Koraga families is in standstill for the last four months.

“The affected families are neither given the land nor they are given monthly house rent amount ,” said the leader.

Dalita Hakkugala Samiti Secretary Lingappa Nanthur warned of intensifying the protest, if the administration fails to respond to their problems at the earliest.