Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Feb 28: As per an estimate, about 10,000 houses located within the limits of 34 gram panchayats including the municipal limits here face the prospects of being razed to the ground. These beneficiaries had built their houses after filing applications under rule 94c and 94 cc.

Belman panchayat began this drive by evicting five families which had built sheds illegally in government land at Jantra within its gram panchayat limits. A team of panchayat officials led by panchayat development officer, Prakash, and accompanied by police personnel of the rural police station here, cleared the land of encroachments. As per information, this operation was conducted under instructions of the tahsildar here. These families had rested on assurances given by someone before building sheds in government land with the hope that the space will be their own in course of time.

Sources say that some people living in Jantra area had complained about the people who had built sheds in government and without authorization. The local panchayat had passed a resolution to clear these houses which were built by Manjula, Vanita, Akshata, Gauri, and Sevanthi. It is said that more demolitions will take place in the entire taluk like the demolitions in Belman which was done after the panchayat took a decision to that effect. Most of those who built these illegal houses happen to be innocent people who built habitats at the assurance of people who had sought votes from these people.

It is said that in tune with the decision taken by the panchayat, these families had been served with eviction notice thrice. As they did not respond, the families were driven away.

A panchayat member said that it is improper to issue title deeds to those who build houses in government land with the support of people's representatives. He feels that the house sites should be distributed as per procedure by preparing list of people not having house sites and distributing sites to them if government land is available.

Belman gram panchayat president, Varija Salian, said that those who had built houses by the roadsides illegally have been evicted after issuance of notices by the panchayat in tune with the public complaints and orders of the tahsildar. She said that effort would be made in future to provide government sites to eligible people. Zilla panchayat member, Reshma Uday Shetty, also said that it was improper for these people to build houses illegally in government land and that preference would be given to eligible beneficiaries when allotting government sites in future.