Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 19: A delegation of Dalit leaders, led by KPCC general secretary Rakshith Shivaram and block Congress (city) president Sathish K Kashipatna, met revenue minister and deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwara, and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge and health and family welfare minister U T Khader at their respective offices in Vidhana Soudha here on Wednesday.

The meeting was held to urge the state government to fulfill the long-standing demand for the allocation of DC Manna land to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST).

The leaders reminded the ministers that the allocation of DC Manna land was specifically promised in the Congress party's election manifesto during the previous assembly elections. In this context, the delegation first held discussions with Dr G Parameshwara, who had served as the chairman of the manifesto committee.

Later, they met U T Khader to press for a government-level order regarding the manifesto promise. Responding to the delegation, Khader assured them that a separate meeting would be convened under his chairmanship at the deputy commissioner's office in Mangaluru to discuss the allocation of DC Manna land once the ongoing assembly session concludes.

Former zilla panchayat member and district guarantee implementation committee vice president Shekhar Kukkedi, Adi Dravida Sangha state president Ganesh Prasad Moodbidri, and DSS leaders B K Vasanth, Baby Suvarna, Venkanna Koyyur, Nemiraj Killur, Ramesh R, Ravichandra Naik Mundaje, Prabhakar Shanthigodu, Chennakeshava, and Shekhar Laila were present during the meeting.