Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network –Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Jul 27: A poor family with no financial support has been waiting for government compensation for their teenage son who had died after falling in a dangerous pond a year ago on July 26.
Talented student Rajith Devadiga (17), son of Mavinakere residents Muthayya Devadiga and Lalitha couple was a student of Kundapur Junior College. He was staying in his father’s house at Mavinakere near Kenchanooru and used to go to school from there every day. He was at home on July 26 being Sunday and had gone to drive away cows which had come near his house in the afternoon when he slipped and fell in the pond. The pond in between government owned land and patta land had no fence. As the pond was deep and he did not know swimming, he drowned. His body was found after extensive search.
Byndoor MLA K Gopala Poojary and the then Kundapur tahsildar Gayathri Nayak had promised to provide compensation from natural calamity fund.Local panchayat officials had submitted a report in this regard. However no compensation has been received by the family even after one year.
Some people had circulated pictures of Ranjith's dead body in WhatsApp after his death. Some newspapers published that he drowned after going for swimming as he was wearing shorts. It created confusion. The tahsildar submitted a report to the deputy commissioner with the pictures. It is said that the deputy commissioner held back the compensation after seeing the report. Byndoor MLA K Gopala Poojary said that as there are legal complications, there will be efforts to pay compensation from other sources.
Rajith belonged to very poor family. His father Muttaiah Devadiga is employed in a restaurant in Bengaluru.His mother Lalitha and sister are staying in the grandmother’s house at Aloor. The family has not recovered from the grief. The relatives have lamented that the compensation would have helped for his sister’s future.
No fence, no sign board yet
“The compensation is not possible at gram panchayat level. It should be paid by government. I have discussed about it to Vidhana Parishat member Srinivasa Poojary two days ago. He too has asked for necessary documents. As regards to fence and sign board, it is delayed due to lack of funds in the panchayat. The work will be completed soon,” said Hattiangadi gram panchayat president Rajiv Shetty.