Long wait for poor siteless and houseless beneficiaries

Though the land was earmarked to be distributed among poor siteless and houseless beneficiaries a year ago at Nagalapura Gram Panchayat limits, in N R Pura taluk, it has not been distributed among the poor.

The taluk authorities had submitted a proposal to distribute 5.20 acres of land on survey number 179 at Nagalapura village under Ashraya scheme and 1 acre land for a burial ground. Accordingly, the deputy commissioner had earmarked 6.20 acres of land to be distributed among the siteless and also for the burial ground, on September 29, 2018.

The site was also earmarked for nomadic tribes who had deserted the village at Balekoppa fearing superstitious belief last year on the said reserved land.

The taluk panchayat and gram panchayat officials had also written to the Forest Department seeking permission to fell acacia trees and to the Revenue Department to hand over the land documents to the gram panchayat to earmark sites on the reserved land.

The local gram panchayat had even constructed a trench around the reserved land and mounted a board on reserving land for poor, at the site to ensure that no trespassers are allowed.

Nagalapura GP PDO Manish said, "The GP had written a letter to the Forest Department seeking permission to clear acacia trees on the reserved land twice."

Chikkagrahara RFO Santhosh Sagar said, "As per the rules, trees cannot be felled till October 15 during the rainy season. As the rain has continued in the region, acacia trees could not be cleared. After the rain stops, trees will be felled to develop the land into sites."

As the authorities failed to distribute sites for the poor, the nomadic tribes are still residing in the temporary tents near the Government School at Balekoppa.