Moodubelle, 26 August 2011: Nearly 125 persons from Padubelle and Pamboor showing solidarity with the families of seven houses demolished by the Belle Grama Panchayat on the explicit orders from the Tahshildar on Wednesday, August 24, 2011, as these hutments were on the government revenue land, hence illegal, organized a protest march to the Grama Panchayat Office on Friday, August 26, 2011 at 11 am and submitted an appeal to consider their case on humanitarian grounds.
The protest march was led by Anil D’Souza, Shankar Kotian, Santosh, Prasad and Rakesh. According to Anil D’Souza, the Grama Panchayat at least should have given notice to these illegal residents so that they could at least make some other arrangements. He said that though most of the residents in the locality have no legal documents, they had been residing in their hutments for the last ten years.
Following the march, the representatives submitted an appeal to Mrs. Jacinta Aranha, President of the Belle Grama Panchayat. Tracing the circumstances to the demolition of the hutments, Mrs. Jacinta Aranha said that as these hutments have been built illegally on revenue land, the Tahshildar had ordered that these hutments had to be demolished. However, she assured the affected people that if they can produce any legal document, they can be given settlements under the Indira-Basava Programme for the homeless in the village. The Village Accountant said that he had personally visited the site and had asked the illegal residents to vacate the land.
Sashidhar Wagle, the former President of the Belle Grama Panchayat addressing the protesters said that there are a number of people coming from other regions and working in the stone quarries have been illegally constructing shanties and claiming the right of residence on the government land. He said that those who employ these quarry workers have the responsibility to provide them lodging. He also said that those local people who are in possession of some kind of domicile records can register their names with the Grama Panchayat so that alternate housing with government grant can be provided under the Indira-Basava Housing Programme. He asked the protesters to cooperate with the Panchayat and put a halt to their protest.
Having no definite answers from the Panchayat officials as they tried to convince them that the action was taken entirely on the orders from the Tahshildar as they had been occupying the revenue land, the protestors had no other option but to return practically empty handed with an assurance the cases of those who are eligible for rehabilitation would be considered sympathetically.