R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Feb 8: A youth belonging to Malekudiya community, whose family had accepted the government's proposal to surrender his land in Kudremukh sanctuary, sat in protest at the office of wildlife division here on Tuesday February 7. He is agitated at the way in which the officials have been harassing the family in the matter of disbursing compensation.

Praveen Gowda (23), son of Mahabala Gowda from Edu Kanyalu village has taken up cudgels against the injustice, holding officials directly responsible for his plight. His father had surrendered the family land inside the sanctuary. Under the rehabilitation programme of the government, he had filed application and requested for disbursement of compensation. However, the officials have been pestering the family under one pretext or the other since the last six months without paying the compensation, Praveen has charged.

"The family land belonged to six persons, out of which four including me had opted to surrender the land. While people who filed for compensation along with me got their dues, I am yet to get my share. Officials have been blocking my file by giving lame reasons. The officials, under the influence of middlemen, have been neglecting us," Praveen rues.

Upon learning about this protest undertaken by a Congress worker, former MLA, Gopal Bhandary, visited the spot and convinced him to withdraw his protest. He promised to speak to the forest minister and arrange disbursement of money at the earliest. He also warned the officials that he will bring to the attention of the minister about the fact that middlemen have been collecting commission out of compensation amount being paid by the government under rehabilitation scheme in the guise of working for the welfare of innocent Malekudiya families.

At the request of Bhandary, Praveen withdrew the protest. In the meanwhile, range forest officer in wildlife division, Gopal, asked beneficiaries who are forced to pay commission under rehabilitation scheme to directly approach him without fear and without bending under pressure.