DCC flays BJP MLAs over land encroachment issue

Kodagu District Congress Committee (DCC) Spokesperson K K Manjunath Kumar on Sunday sought to know why MLAs K G Bopaiah and Appacchu Ranjan have not called any meetings in connection with the encroachment of land, Akrama Sakrama issue and also why they have not taken any initiatives to sanction government land for poor.

Addressing media persons here, he said that land was identified at Vidyanagar in K Badaga Gram Panchayat jurisdiction for the construction of Zilla Panchayat building. “When people encroached this land, the district administration took measures to clear the encroachment.

Then, the MLAs staged a drama of conducting a protest. The applications submitted by the encroachers to the Akrama Sakrama Committee have not been cleared and the MLAs are making false allegations against the State government,” he claimed.

Kumar said the Akrama Sakrama Committee is headed by the local MLA and he has the powers to sanction the encroached government land to poor. “Why the MLA did not make use of this privilege?” he asked.

He said the former DC had rejected the land identified near Sudarshana Circle for the construction of the Zilla Panchayat building. Later, the land in Vidyanager was chosen. All these developments have taken place in the presence of the MLA. But, he is opposing the move now with political motives, Kumar alleged.

He said 3,000 people submitted applications to the Akrama Sakrama Committee. The MLAs have not convened any meeting to dispose of these files  as they are fear that it will benefit the Congress, he claimed. 

Madikeri Block Congress President K M Ganesh said the step taken by the DC to clear the encroached land, on Sankranthi day, is not right. He should have given time to encroachers and cleared the houses some other day. The district in-charge minister has directed the DC to build houses under Ashrama Housing Scheme for the encroachers who does not have sites of their own, he added.

The BJP MLAs are criticising Congress by keeping the forthcoming Zilla and Taluk Panchayat elections. “They know that the government has earmarked land for constructing the Zilla Panchayat building and released Rs 40 crore for the purpose.

“Though the clearing of encroachment started at 6 am, why did the MLAs arrive at the spot at 11.30 am?” he questioned. DCC General Secretary V P Suresh, Secretary Chandrashekhar, CMC’s Nominated Member Venkatesh and others were present.