Siteless to picket Vidhana Soudha

Former MLA and CPI(M) state Secretary G V Sriram Reddy said that siteless people would picket Vidhana Soudha under the leadership of CPI(M) on April 28, to urge government to provide sites.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 24-hour long dharna staged in front of Mangalore City Corporation in Lalbag by siteless in the limits of MCC on Monday.

Though more than 36 lakh siteless have applied to the government for sites, across the state, no applications have been cleared from the last three years.

He said chief minister had assured that he will include a programme in the budget to provide sites to siteless. But, it has not been fulfilled. Moreover, the government has fixed Rs 3 lakh per acre, but land was not available at that price. He urged the government to accept the recommendations of A P Ramaswami committee. He alleged that more than 1,000 acre of land in Mangaluru is encroached land and urged the government to initiate actions to control land mafia.

CPI(M) South division Secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal said Mangaluru City Corporation has not been responding to the aspirations of port siteless even 2,000-2,500 of siteless in MCC limits have submitted applications for sites, several years before.

The MCC has not even included them in the list of siteless.

Though the siteless were given assurances during elections, the promises have not been fulfilled so far. Ashraya committee meeting has not been held by the MLA. MCC officials are working under influential people, he alleged.