Meet to explore legislature route to end forest dwellers' woes

Legislative Council chairman D H Shankaramurthy said on Saturday that a meeting of ministers and officials would be convened to explore the possibility of finding solution to the problems faced by forest dwellers, Bagair Hukum land cultivators and the issue of Kannada as medium of instruction through the legislature.

Addressing reporters here, the chairman said forest dwellers and unauthorised cultivators of land are tensed. Whenever efforts are made to allay their fears, forest officials point towards the court.

Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa has desired to find out whether it is possible to solve these problems through the legislature, he said.

An informal meeting of officers and ministers concerned would be convened soon, as per the Speaker’s direction.

It would be attended by the chairpersons of both the Houses. Shankaramurthy said that he and Thimmappa had jointly staged protests 35 years ago demanding power supply to Shettihalli in Shivamogga taluk. But the Forest department had not allowed the same to materialise even today. There are hundreds of such villages, he said.

Addressing a separate press conference, Thimmappa said that he would not allow anyone to hijack the Assembly by raising only certain issues.

When reporters asked whether the Assembly would be devoting time only to discuss sugar cane growers’ problems and Arkavathi Layout land denotification cases, the Speaker said he would not allow only certain issues to be discussed. In case anyone violates the rules, action will be initiated, he warned. 

“Every member should function as per the norms of the House. Members are entitled to raise issues as permitted by the rules. But they cannot disturb the proceedings,” he added.

The draft bills pertaining to molasses, lake development and Hindu religious institutions are pending before the Assembly for consideration, he pointed out.