RAICHUR: The Karnataka Raitha Sangha has decided to stage a "rasta roko" in front of the Deputy Commissioner's residence here on Monday demanding that the Government issue ownership rights to hut owners on government land in Kavital town of Manvi taluk, and arrest Pamaiah Murari, vice-president, and Kirilingappa, former vice-president of the zilla panchayat, for allegedly assaulting members of a family who staged an indefinite fast at the Deputy Commissioner's office.

Government land

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, R. Manasaiah, president of the State unit of the sangha, said 67 families had been living on the 32-acre government land in Kavital town for the past ten years. For the last few years, the families had been requesting the Government to issue ownership rights to them, he said.

Padayatra

They pressured the families to vacate the site and allegedly burnt a few huts when the occupants refused to leave. The hut dwellers formed a sangha and took a padayatra to Manvi in protest against the harassment by the Congress workers. They submitted a memorandum to the tahsildar urging the Government to issue them ownership certificate and initiate action against those found guilty. However, no action had been taken, and the gram panchayat concerned had reportedly disconnected power supply and drinking water to the locality.

Indefinite dharna

Mr. Manasaiah said members of the sangha had been staging an indefinite dharna since May 29 on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner's office urging the Government to consider their demand. The agitators were on fast for the past 13 days. However, the Deputy Commissioner had not responded to their grievances, he said.

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