'10 days to rehabilitate displaced Diddalli tribals'

Bhoomi Mattu Vasati Hakku Vanchitara Horata Samiti has given an ultimatum of 10 days to provide rehabilitation to the displaced tribals at Diddalli.

Horata Samiti district convener T S Nirvanappa said on Wednesday there are enough documents to prove that an 8,500-acre land in Diddalli is paisari land and remained so till 1999. By converting it into a forest paisari, the tribals are being cheated.

The issue has already been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thim-mappa and Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya.

Thimmappa promised to convene a chief minister’s meeting to solve the row. Till this happens, the displaced tribals will not go to the land identified by the district administration at Srirampura, Basavanahalli and Kedamullur.

He said that there are several colonies at Chennangi, Chottepari and Devamacchi that house 200 tribal families. The land has been distributed to a few tribal families
who have been carrying out farming on five to 10-acre land.

“The district administration had stated that it will distribute sites to those who have documents. But we want the authorities to convene a meeting under the chairmanship of the chief minister in Bengaluru to solve the Diddalli row.

If the problem is not solved within 10 days, a state-wide agitation will be started
from Diddalli to Freedom Park,” he warned.

‘Conspiracy’
SDPI district president Ameen Mohisin said there is a conspiracy to suppress the protest. There is no hurdle in distributing sites at Diddalli. There are enough documents dated September 27, 1999, to prove that the said land was paisari land.

Later it was handed over to the Forest Department to plant saplings. Tribal leader Appaji said the government is cheating the tribals. Instead of issuing RTC, the government is issuing only title deeds.
DH News Service