Pics: Umesh Marpally/ Pareekshith Shet

News: Pareekshith Shet

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 20: In an incident which occurred at the Vyayama Shale here on Thursday May 19, BJP leaders and locals stopped the municipal commissioner and some revenue officials when they came all of a sudden to evacuate an illegal construction standing in government land. It is gathered that the officials took this step suddenly without serving advance notice of their intention.

'Janata Vyayama Shala', which happens to be a privately owned building, has been standing in 72 cents of government land at Gundibail ward here since the last 49 years. This building is not backed by any documents. Local BJP leaders, local people, and some donors had made contributions and constructed a building where tailoring training, Anganwadi, Karate training, Sarvajanika Ganeshotava and other activities were being run. Several religious programmes and competitions were also being organized here.

In the recent past, some people complained to the tahsildar, pointing out that this is an illegal building. Thereafter, the tahsildar had issued orders to hand over this building to the city municipality.

Without serving any advance intimation to Ramdas Shetty, president of Vyayama Shale Committee, armed with the order of the tahsildar, municipal commissioner, Manjunathaiah, and revenue inspector, Devendra Nayak, came to the spot and began to take possession of the building. Some BJP leaders, locals, and committee members rushed to the spot upon learning of this development, and took the municipal commissioner and revenue inspector to task. They requested the officials to give some time to the concerned. They told the officials that serving advance notice is necessary to keep democratic values high and not to hurt religious sentiments.

Municipal commissioner suggested that the municipality would take over the building and the concerned may approach court to claim custody of the building. But the locals stood their ground, asserting that the building constructed at a cost of lacs of rupees cannot be handed over without notice. District president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Suprasad Shetty, also visited the spot and warned of staging protest. The revenue inspector stood his ground and locked the premises and waited for the ongoing Bhajan programme to conclude.

Shirur Math head, Sri Lakshmivarateeertha Swamiji, also came to the venue and expressed his ire besides calling the local MLA. But all these efforts failed to yield any result. Later, BJP leaders, Uday Kumar Shetty, Yashpal Suvarna etc succeeded in convincing the revenue inspector to give a week's time for vacating the building. The tahsildar then relented and returned, giving the concerned a week's time.

Now, the committee, former BJP councillor, Prabhakar Poojary, former BJP district president, Uday Kumar Shetty, Yashpal Suvarna etc have expressed the hope of getting the issue resolved by discussing the same with the district deputy commissioner.