Karnataka - Belgaum   

Okkoota demands compensation

Belgaum: Members of the Belgavi Zilla Vividha Dalit Sanghatanegala Okkoota will stage an indefinite dharna in front of the office of the Regional Commissioner from Friday demanding immediate disbursement of compensation for lands acquired for the Bellar Nala project.

Announcing this here on Wednesday, the okkoota president M.R. Kalpatri and secretary Mallesh F. Kurangi said that over 600 acres of agricultural land and residential land in the villages of Siddanahalli, Mastihalli and Kablapur had been affected by the project. Once the project was completed, the land would be submerged and over 1,000 families would be on roads, they said.

Though the Government completed the process of land acquisition about five months ago, it was delaying the process of disbursing compensation, they said. The okkoota leaders alleged that the Special Land Acquisition Officer and his staff were demanding money for settlement of compensation and harassing those who questioned them.

They said a majority of those who would be affected by the project were Dalits with meagre land and income. Though the matter was brought to the notice of the Regional Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and political leaders, none of them had come to help the Dalit families, they added.

Mr. Kalpatri said that the okkoota would not withdraw its agitation until the Government disbursed compensation to the families whose lands had been acquired.

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