Manipal: Deprived of housing, 20 Koraga families have started an indefinite protest against the district administration demanding permission to build houses on the land allotted by the government. 20 families have moved with their belongings in front of the Deputy Commissioners Office, Manipal. The protest will continue round the clock till the district administration comes up with a better solution, said the protesters.
These 20 families lived in temporary shelters. Their community leaders shifted them to the Suzlon Colony, where they had protested and demanded land to construct houses. Dr Pattan Shetty, the then Deputy Commissioner, recognizing the urgent need of these families allotted 2.75 cents of land per family in Nadsalu, Padubidri. The Deputy Commissioner also released rupees 1.75 lakh for 16 families to build houses.
Now, certain Koraga community leaders are said to be forcing these families to stop the construction work. These leaders are said to have obtained a stay order to stop the construction.
Shrimathi, an MSW graduate of one of the families, says that the 20 families after facing severe crisis managed to get some land for the construction of houses. “We were living in temporary houses and were asked to move to the Suzlon colony by some of our community leaders with promises of better housing. We agreed to shift to the Suzlon colony and managed to setup sheds to live in. We later held severe protests and finally land was granted to us. The Koraga community leaders, who were with us during the protest for houses, are now troubling us to stop constructing the houses for their vested interests. The district administration should soon interfere and allow us to construct the houses,” she said.
The families have been asking for justice, their children are studying, sitting in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. Women are preparing the traditional baskets and other materials. Two sick children have also joined the protest. The leaders of the protest play their traditional instruments in order to alert the district administration. They have been saying that they will not move from the Deputy Commissioner’s Office until the district administration comes with a positive solution.
