Hassan district unit of Dalit Hakkugala Samiti, on Monday, staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hassan demanding residential plots and other facilities for the residents of Haltore village in Belur taluk. The residents parted with their land for Yagachi reservoir project in 1991, but never got alternative land.
As many as 19 Dalit families and three families of backward classes lost their house properties for the irrigation project. The State Government had assured them residential plots, each measuring 1,200 sq.ft at Survey Number 166 in Haltore village. The land was identified and reserved for the purpose.
However, in the last three decades, the sites were not allotted to the families. They had been depending on others for shelter and other facilities. Despite repeated requests, the district administration had not responded to their demands. The protesters said that the administration had allotted a portion of the land, earmarked for these families, to ‘upper caste’ families for agriculture purposes. The administration had been negligent towards the plight of Dalits, the protesters said.
Deputy Commissioner R. Girish received the memorandum from the protesters. Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leaders H.K. Rajashekhar, Krishnadas H.K. Sandesh, CPI (M) district secretary Dharmesh, Madida Dandora Committee district president T.R. Vijay Kumar, DHS district convener M.G. Pruthvi and others led the protest.
