Belagavi: Several villagers from Bamanwadi, located 12km away from the city, staged a protest in Belagavi on Wednesday. They submitted a memorandum to the tahsildar, condemning the alleged transfer of govt land in the village to a private individual.
Villagers alleged that Kalappa Balappa Chigare illegally transferred three acres of govt-owned village land into his name from a total of five acres designated as ‘open land’ in the village. They demanded an immediate and thorough investigation to ensure that the land remains under village ownership and that justice is served.
The memorandum states that survey No. 29/B of Bamanwadi comprises five acres of govt open land for public facilities like a school, temple, residential houses, and water tanks. The land also houses a historic battle tank that has become a popular tourist attraction near Belagavi.
However, Chigare allegedly encroached upon three acres of this land illegally. Villagers claim that he fraudulently obtained this land under the ‘Akrama-Sakrama’ regularisation scheme post-2005, and they are questioning how the govt land could be allocated under the scheme.
The villagers insist that an in-depth investigation is necessary to rectify the illegal land transfer, protect govt property, and ensure justice for both the village and the govt. They have also submitted a copy of the memorandum to the minister for women and child welfare and Belagavi rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar for further action.
Tahsildar Basavaraj Nagaral, who received the memorandum, assured them of a site visit within the next couple of days for inspection. The agitation was led by the social activists Yuvraj Kadam and Shrimant Subhash Patil.
Source Homevior.in
