Keeping the focus on issues that bother residents of the Malnad region, Karnataka Janashakti, an organisation, has organised Malenad Sammelana at Sringeri in Chikkamagaluru on May 1. It has involved people from Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts in the event to be held at Adichunchanagiri Samudaya Bhavana in the temple town.
For many years, residents of Sringeri, Koppa, N.R.Pura and Mudigere taluks have been fighting for residential plots and grant of land for cultivation. As a major part of the land in the Malnad region has been either forest land or deemed forest land, the residents have not been able to get their demands fulfilled. Hundreds of applications submitted under the form 50, 53, 54, 94© and 94 (CC) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act have remained pending.
Hagalaganchi Venkatesh, one of the office-bearers of Karnataka Janashakti, said the government had not granted land to the needy for years. “People in the entire Malnad region are facing this problem. We are holding the first such convention in Sringeri to spread awareness and attract the attention of government to the problems faced by people”, he said.
Sasikant Senthil, who took voluntary retirement as IAS officer, activists Shivasundar, B.T.Lalita Naik, Kalkuli Vittal Heggade, K.L. Ashok, Gowri, and Gous Mohiddin of Karnataka Janashakti are taking part in the event.
