Pics: Jeevan D’Costa

Daijiworld Media Network – Brahmavar (JD)

Brahmavar, Feb 24: A consultation meeting convened by concerned residents of Brahmavar and neighboring areas was held at Rotary Bhavan in Brahmavar on Saturday, February 24. The meeting aimed to address the 11-E problem and explore potential solutions.

Bhujanga Shetty, former member of the zilla panchayat, highlighted the issue in his introductory remarks, stating, "These rules and regulations are causing numerous problems for the common people. Bribery has become rampant in the taluk office for any kind of work. Previously, government jobs were considered noble, but today, everyone is focused on their own selfish gains. This rule is an attempt to deprive us of our rights. I urge the district commissioner to revoke this order. We will also bring this issue to the attention of the chief minister. We cannot afford to sacrifice 9 meters of our land for the road. Our land is our rightful possession."

Addressing the gathering, Vasanth Giliyar, a social worker and journalist, stated, "I have discussed this matter with all five MLAs of Udupi district. Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna raised this issue during the assembly session. However, there is a need for a stronger voice to address revenue matters at the assembly level. We will meet with Revenue Minister Krishnebyre Gowda to convey our concerns. If no progress is made after submitting our appeal to the minister, we will organize a large-scale protest."

During the meeting, MLA Yashpal Suvarna, who received a phone call, informed the gathering about the appointment scheduled to meet the chief minister on Tuesday to highlight the issue and bring it to the CM's attention.

Chethan Shetty, activist addressing the gathering said, "There are many problems from the revenue point of view like CRZ, forest, deemed forest issues affecting the Coastal belt. The revenue and district administration should understand these local issues. Coastal region is very different as compared to the rest of Karnataka geographical wise. In this region most of the people are small land owners. By abolishing 11-E sketches provision it would be too difficult for a common man to avail a piece of land for his dream house. Another issue with this is the minimum land size is fixed at 50 cents which is not right."

Congress leader Amruth Shenoy, offering his support at the governmental level to address the issue, remarked, “Officers sitting in AC cabins formulate these decisions. Many amongst us are finding it difficult to afford a single meal a day, yet we are discussing elevating our standards to those of Singapore. If a person owns 1 acre of land, they can only sell 55 cents, with the remaining 45 cents mandated to be surrendered to the government for layout development, parks, roads, and other amenities. This is not feasible. The district commissioner's order is fundamentally flawed. There are numerous single layout owners in this district who have been embroiled in legal battles for over 20 years. If there are any illegal layouts, let the administration address them through legal means.”

Dr Amshumanth Gowda, Chikkamagaluru district Congress president, emphasized the seriousness of the issue during the meeting, stating, “We need to address this matter seriously as it directly impacts people's lives. Public hearings are essential for any amendments that may affect the lives of the people. Let us meet with the Karnataka government's Revenue Minister to convey our concerns. I am committed to being your voice in this matter, and you can rely on me for assistance whenever needed.”

A multitude of individuals attended the meeting and voiced their opinions. Members of the Kundapur committee, formed for a similar purpose, were also present. Additionally, other revenue issues affecting the district, such as problems with single layouts, were discussed during the meeting.

Alwyn Andrade co-ordinated and moderated the meeting.

The gathering reached a consensus to initiate discussions with both the chief minister and the revenue minister as the first step. Their objective is to elucidate the seriousness of the situation and subsequently determine the course of action to be taken.