Displaced Diddalli tribals will get sites by month-ends, says DC

MADIKERI: Tribals who are temporarily camping near Ashrama School in Diddalli after being evicted from forest areas, will get sites allotted before the month-end, Kodagu deputy commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza said.
He told TOI that 90% of record verification on proof of their origin is completed, and alternative sites identified. The verification process is continuing, and the correct number of beneficiaries will be finalized shortly.While 611 families have sought rehabilitation, a maximum number may get sites, while in some cases no records are given, he said.
After 30x30 sqft sites are allocated to each identified family, they have to occupy those places immediately, and the government will take up building houses on those sites, he said.
Meanwhile, Kodagu incharge minister M R Seetharam announced that in all, 24 acres of government land are reserved to be allotted to 531 tribal families. The identified land lies in three taluks of the district -- 6.70 acres in Basavanahalli, 10 acres in Rampura in Somwarpet taluk and 7.5 acres in Kedamulluru village in Virajpet taluk.
Somwarpet taluk panchayat members, at a recent meeting, unanimously opposed allotting land in their taluk for the Diddalli beneficiaries, as Diddalli belongs to Virajpet taluk. The members, headed by president Pushpa Rajesh and vice-president Abhimanyukumar, resolved to oppose allotting land for the tribals.
They argued that 1,800 poor homeless persons in the taluk are on the waiting list for allotment of sites by the TP, and should get priority, the resolution says.
Maldare panchayat member T R Satish said that Diddalli comes under the Maldare panchayat limits, but 680 poor persons who applied for sites are waiting since 2003. The Diddalli tribals who claim that they encroached land just seven months ago, want land on a permanent basis, he alleged. They have not submitted any applications to Maldare panchayat and did not follow any procedure, he added.
Disease strikes camp
The condition of tribals living in their temporary shelter is becoming complicated by the day. After the forest department evicted 577 families, they start living near Ashrama School. Locals and donors were helping provide food and other facilities. After the intervention of the social welfare ministry, Rs 1 crore was sanctioned for the food and other basic facilities in the temporary place. Temporary washrooms are provided, drinking water, sweaters for children, rugs and routine commodities are also being distributed. Due to the mess in this small place, diarrhoea affected 20 inmates who were treated in Siddapur and Madikeri hospitals. One person died after suffering a heart attack.
New IGP (South range) Vipul Kumar, who visited recently Diddalli, said the department is keeping a keen eye on activities by outsiders in the area. So far, no Naxal interference has been proved, he said. CCTV and police security is continuing, after tribal leader J K Muthamma reiterated her stand and warned that hundreds of tribals will strip in protest if rehabilitation is delayed further.
Meanwhile, former MLC A K Subbaiah, who visited the area and heard the grievances of the inmates, urged the district administration and government to allot land in the area previously occupied by tribals, because the infrastructure facilities include education for children and labour opportunities for tribals in the surrounding coffee estates. He said the vacated area is not forest land. Earlier, it was a government paisari land, and trees were grown there to merge the area into the reserve forest, he added.