RAZED: Bulldozers being used to demolish structures on encroached land in Hassan on Friday.

HASSAN: Venkatamma, 55, works as a mid-wife in the CSI Hospital in Hassan. She used to stay in a hut in Beeranahalli Tank area (now called Raghavendra Nagar), which had no civic amenities. Once the area was brought under the Hassan City Municipality, it was provided with basic amenities.

Ms. Venkatamma decided to build a house in the same area and availed several loans to be able to do so. She constructed a house at a cost of Rs. 5 lakh. Her son Kantha drove an autorickshaw and he got married just a week ago. However, disaster struck the family in the form of bulldozers on Friday morning. The municipality authorities knocked on their door and asked them to clear their belongings as they were demolishing the house since it was constructed on encroached land, reserved for a park.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Ms. Venkatamma said she had faith and voted for Minister for Public Works H.D. Revanna. But now the authorities had shown no concern for the poor. Admitting that she did not have proper records since she had constructed a house in the place of the hut and did not have a licence, she said she had hoped that her house would be regularised.

In all, 72 structures, including 12 houses with tiled roofs and 12 huts, were razed in the demolition drive, which took place under heavy security. Section 144 has been clamped on Friday and Saturday. Swamy, another resident, said he sold two acres of land in his village and constructed house here, but now it was gone. Mr. Swamy said they were paying house tax in Sathyamangala Gram Panchayat. Parvathi said she paid Rs. 40,000 for the site to former gram panchayat member Rudre Gowda. He collected Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 1 lakh from these residents and asked them to build houses here, she said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police H. Rudrappa said Rudre Gowda was a known criminal. If residents gave a complaint, the police would register a case against him. The police said he has been at large since Thursday.

Most of the residents are labourers and some construction workers. Sharadamma said she paid Rs. 50,000 to Rudre Gowda who allotted her land here. Rajendra, Padmamma, Bhagyamma, Gangamma, Jayalakshmi, Lakshmi, Venkatesh, Girish, Kumar, Geetha, Manjula all said they paid had between Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 1 lakh to Rudre Gowda for their land.

Residents said they met Deputy Commissioner in the morning and he promised them that the authorities would not demolish buildings, but only conduct a survey.

Residents are in a state of shock. Some of them have shifted to their relatives' houses. They are demanding to know why the administration provided them with water supply and electricity connections if they did not have the required records.

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