Mangaluru: The city unit of landless people’s welfare committee under the banner of Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] started a day and night indefinite strike in front of MCC demanding sanction of sites to the homeless here on Monday April 24.
Alleging irregularities in selecting the homeless beneficiaries, committee’s General Secretary Santhosh Shaktinagar said, “For several years homeless people in the city have been filing applications with MCC to sanction them the sites. After aggressive protests, finally MCC has selected around 2000 families as the homeless and planning to provide them housing sites. Among those selected, around 300 families already have homes and proper income source. MCC should reject the applications of such families.”
He also demanded that MCC should disclose the exact date for laying the founding stone for the homes at Idya in Surathkal and also provide housing facilites at Kanna Gudde in Kannur, where 11.25 acres of land has been reserved for the purpose. MCC should convene a meeting by inviting the members of the committee, he said.
Vasantha Acharya district secretary of CPI(M) accused MCC of corruptly allotting sites to the economically stable supporters of politicians. He alleged that MLAs J R Lobo and Moideen Bhava were misleading the people and sought criminal cases against both of them.
He threatened to continue the protests till the demands were met.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) City Committee Secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal, DYFI leader Muneer Katipalla, Santhosh Bajal, Manjula Shetty, Noothan Konchady, Yogini Bolar and others were present.
