Choultry eviction attempt torpedoed

More than 25 families living in CMC property for over three decades

The district administration attempted to evict the poor families all of a sudden from the choultry, located on B B Road in the heart of the City. More than 200 marginally poor have been residing in the choultry for over thirty years. A dispute over the ownership of the building was pending in the court for years together. The court, after adjudication, ruled that the building belongs to the City Municipality.

It was planned to construct district office complex by demolishing the choultry. Previous Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav had said that construction would be taken up after providing alternative shelter to the poor families in the choultry.

The issue, however, was put on the backburner with the transfer of Yadav. The poor families continued to reside at the choultry.

All of a sudden, Additional Deputy Commissioner G S Nayak, City Planning Officer Akram Pasha and Tahsildar Purnima arrived at the choultry along with the police force. They warned of demolishing the building. The officers were reportedly were not forthcoming on rehabilitating the residents.

Legislator K P Bache Gowda, Zilla Panchayat member G R Narayanaswamy, District Congress Committee president M Anjinappa and CPI(M) leader S Lakshmaiah, who arrived at the spot, took officers to task. They urged the Additional Deputy Commissioner to proceed with the operation only after providing alternative shelter to the occupants.

However the DC insisted on going ahead contending that elected representatives should not come in the way of development work. An argument too ensued between the both.
Bache Gowda said he was not creating obstacles or impeding any development project, but it was not proper to throw poor into streets in the name of development. He assured of evicting the occupants once an alternative shelter is provided. He held discussion with Deputy Commissioner Anwar Pasha over telephone. It was decided to come to a conclusion after a meeting.

No instructions

However, the Additional Deputy Commissioner said that he has not received any instruction from the Deputy Commissioner. Bache Gowda challenged the DC to go ahead with the work violating the words of an elected representative. The other representatives joined the issue.

The Additional DC later dropped the move. DCC president Anjinappa assured to construct houses at his own cost if the district administration provided sites. Taluk Panchayat member K R Reddy and others were  present.