Puttur: Residential colony for backward class residents resembles a slum with 350 occupants housed in 47 shacks. Living in deplorable living conditions, they remain hopeful of getting property rights of their ‘houses’ after staying in the heart of the town for more than 80 years.
This is the picture of a colony which is situated adjacent to the KSRTC bus stand in Puttur town, where 47 families are staying in crumbling shacks demanding property rights for their places of living. Except the ration cards and drinking water facility, they do not possess anything worthwhile. Problems galore throughout the year and give rise to diseases affecting little children during rainy season. The owner of the land on which the colony exists passed away and his family members understandably staying in Bengaluru have not bothered to know about their ancestral property. The local municipal administration has forgotten the colony which is deprived of all basic amenities like access to main roads, toilets, drains and sewage system. Clogged drains and the sewage overflowing through the manholes during rainy season intensify the acute problem.
There are 30 houses in 3 rows and in some houses two families stay together. There are 12 toilets in the entire colony where 4 families have to share each toilet. Can one imagine the situation if guests arrive? With drains and sewage lines right in front of the entrance doors and the washrooms covered by gunnysacks and torn tarpaulins it’s hard to imagine the plight of the residents.
One has to admire their patience to withstand the toughest moments of their lives having stayed there for over 80 years. The colony area is called Bottattur which has been changed to Brahmanagar in the recent past, but most people recognize the colony by its old name. Unfortunately, they cannot air their grievances because they do not have any property documents to support their cause. The land owner Prabhakar Rao too is no more!
The eldest resident Hukra remembers having settled in the colony with his parents who moved there 80 years ago. They initially lived in temporary structures (though the present is worse), which are now replaced by mud shacks. Poor man Hukra does not know whom to approach and even if he finds one, does not know on what grounds!
Another resident Ashok feels, if the property rights are given to families in the colony their problems will be solved automatically.
Rekha J Shetty , Town Municipal Commissioner says, she is aware of the fact that the residents are staying there from many years. Quoting the land owner who has expired, she says, the papers have to move from the town council to the government for further action.
Will the residents’ hopes get blown away with the passage of time like their roofing sheets?
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