Forcible eviction at Shirthady - Inquiry hints at error on part of officials
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Mar 21: The revenue officials who forcibly evicted Malathi Poojarthi and her young child and razed down her house at Acharibettu in Moodukonaje village in Shirthady near Moodbidri on Tuesday March 18, seemed to have erred in their assessment.
During the inquiry conducted by the assistant commissioner (AC) into the forceful eviction of Malathi Poojarthi from her home, it was found that the officials failed to properly verify beforehand whether the land on which her house stood was owned by the government or individuals.
The higher officials have also found now that the door number allotted by the gram panchayat to Malathi’s home was genuine.
The AC also has noticed that Shirthady gram panchayat was in order in allotting house number to Malathi Poojarthi, and that no rules were violated when doing so. The inquiry was held by the AC, Dr Prashant, by summoning Shirthady gram panchayat development officer, Prem Singh, to his office. The AC handled the issue and conducted inquiry on Thursday, as chief executive officer of Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat, Tulasi Maddineni, was not in station.
The AC checked demand book and record of proceedings maintained by the gram panchayat during the inquiry. He found that the panchayat also had collected fine from Malathi for minor irregularities found in house construction, before issuing door number to her. He also reportedly realized that the panchayat had not violated any rules. The revenue department, it is learnt, is not sure as to whether the land on which Malathi’s house stood is private or public property.
The land was not surveyed as required, before the demolition drive. The revenue officials, apparently in a bid to appease certain politicians, acted upon a complaint in a haste, and went ahead with razing the house, notwithstanding the fact that earlier complaints about illegal structures in the village were pending with them. In their anxiety to keep political heavyweights happy, the revenue officials seem to have earned the wrath of the people and possible action from the government.
A number of organizations have condemned the action of the officials and the policemen for the inhuman way in which the lady and her child were rendered homeless. People have also criticized the officials relating to the incident through social websites. Many have expressed willingness to extend helping hand in enabling the woman to get a roof on her head, and to lead a legal battle against the officials to get her rights back.
The fact that state minister, K Abhaychandra Jain, whose house is located within a few kilometers from Shirthady, has kept mum without showing any reaction to the incident, has given rise to a sense of resentment among the general public. The locals feel that the minister could have put off the demolition for sometime, at lease in the guise of election code of conduct. The reluctance of the minister to get drawn into the controversy has also given rise to doubts about his role in this incident.