JOIN USCongress candidate and sitting MP Jayaprakash Hegde has said that the government has submitted an interim plea before the Court in favour of the encroachers.
Speaking at an interaction programme in Chikmagalur city on Friday, he said that the legal fight to protect Inam land cultivators will continue, he said.
“Though it was believed that the court will order for eviction, the government intervened and submitted necessary documents to protect the interest of Inam land dwellers. A few meetings were convened in the presence of the Chief Minister to discuss on providing rehabilitation to the Inam land cultivators. It has been decided to request the court to hand over the revenue land in Kuduremukh to the forest department and allow the Inam land dwellers to continue their cultivation in the existing land,” Hegde said.
He also stressed on the need for a comprehensive amendment of the Forest Rights Act.
Indefinite stir continue
The indefinite protest by Balige villagers against the clearing of Inam land cultivators has not seen a logical end yet. The protest which began a fortnight ago, has continued even on Friday. The villagers gave an election boycott call and began staging the protest in an attempt to draw the attention of the State on controversial Inam land issue.
The attempts made by Mudigere Tahsildar and Assistant Commissioner to convince the villagers to withdraw the election boycott and exercise their franchise too has gone futile. The protesters have stood firm on their demand and have said that the deputy commissioner has to visit the protest venue and give them clear assurance, failing which they have warned of not allowing the polling officers to bring the voting machines to polling booths in Balige.
BJP candidate for Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency Shobha Karandlaje and JD(S) candidate Dhananjay Kumar who have visited Balige as a part of their election campaign have promised of solving their problem if they are elected from the constituency.
However, the villagers fear that the forest department might evict them soon after the election, hence they have resorted to warn of boycotting the election to save their land from clearing.
Atleast one person from each house in Balige house have been participating in the protest on a rotation basis everyday.
They cook, eat food and sleep in the protest spot, with the clear intention that the problem has to be solved this time, at any cost.