Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network — Mangalore (DV)

Mangalore, Oct 14: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) organized a massive protest rally from Jyothi Junction to Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) demanding that the name of homeless applicants who had sought land be added to the lists of landless individuals.

The protest was held in front of Mangalore City Corporation on Monday October 13.

Addressing the protest, Vasanth Achari of CPI (M) said, “The Constitution has guaranteed each individual the right to live. Though the poor, working class has applied for land to build houses, they cannot avail the land to build the house. It is the responsibility of the government to provide sites to the homeless. Poor people are deprived of land to build houses. The land available in the city is given to the capitalists. The government is supporting the land mafia. During the BJP's rule, their land law favoured the capitalists and even the Congress government does not have concern for the poor. The government should provide land to the poor to build houses. The name of homeless applicants should be added to lists of landless people.

Sunil Kumar Bajal, secretary of CPI(M), said, “Poor people are fed up of applying several times for government land to build houses. But till today, they have been deprived of this. People’s representatives make people file applications for land but till today they have not got any land. If there is no government land, let the government purchase private land and build houses for those homeless people.”

CPI(M) party leaders also submitted a memorandum to MLA J R Lobo and MCC Mayor Mahabala Marla.