Karnataka - Madikeri   

Samiti’s move to evict families from ‘gaddige’ land criticised

Madikeri: M.C. Nanaiah, MLC, on Saturday decried efforts by the Gaddige Vyavastapana Samiti to evict 32 families living on the land claimed to belong to the gaddige — mausoleums of the former rulers of Kodagu — here.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Nanaiah said all the management committees constituted earlier under the Muzrai Department had been dissolved under the new guidelines of the department. Therefore, the samiti ceased to exist.

The families had built houses around the gaddige for over four decades now. Applications of the residents should be placed before the Akrama-Sakrama Samiti headed by the Madikeri MLA and steps initiated to regularise the houses, Mr. Nanaiah said.

Some vested interests were raking up the issue to gain undue political advantage, Mr. Nanaiah said.

The High Court, in response to a petition filed by president of the Kodagu unit of the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha S.P. Mahadevappa, had ruled on March 3, 2003 that the case of the petitioner should be considered by the respondents — the State of Karnataka, Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu and the Director of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Karnataka, — within six months in accordance with law.

Mr. Nanaiah said that he and some Lingayat community leaders had held a meeting in 2003 and decided to drop the issue. Following this, neither Mr. Mahadevappa nor the District Administration or the Madikeri City Municipal Council had raised any objection. It was a political conspiracy to oust the residents and create tension among them since a majority of them belonged to the minority community, he alleged.

Mr. Nanaiah said he would speak to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to resolve the impasse. He hoped that the two MLAs from Kodagu would cooperate with him over the issue.

On asked whether not solving the issue within six months as directed by the High Court would draw any contempt proceedings, Mr. Nanaiah said the petitioner (Mr. Mahadevappa) had not filed any contempt proceedings later.

President of the samiti S.B. Kushalappa had urged the Deputy Commissioner on Friday to expedite the eviction of 32 families from the gaddige land. Mr. Kushalappa had stated that the 32 families occupied 1.86 acres of land belonging to the gaddige and the court had ordered for evictions in 2003.

Mr. Kushalappa would seek Rs. 25 lakh to raise flower gardens after fencing off the gaddige property once the families were evicted, to make it a tourist spot.

Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly K.G. Bopaiah said on Friday that he had identified 10 acres of land in the city to rehabilitate the 32 families but the move lost steam as the BJP-JD (S) Government fell and he lost the Assembly membership subsequently.

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