Mangalore:Somanath Nayak, President of Nagarika Seva Trust, Guruvayanakere has urged the government to intervene and investigate into the land scam involving Dr Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala.
Speaking to reporters at Press Club in Mangalore on October 15, Tuesday, he also demanded handing over of the Sowjanya case and also the 450 cases of unnatural deaths in Dharmasthala to the CBI.
Releasing the various documents obtained through the RTI Act regarding the land scam by Veerendra Heggade, he said that according to the declaration given by Dr.Heggade to the Revenue Department, he is left with 1050 acres of land out of the 4671 acres after the 1974 land reforms. Nayak said the declaration also states that out of the 1050 acres land with Dr Heggade, 137 acres is agricultural land and rest has been declared as non agricultural land by Heggade in spite of the land being used for agricultural purposes since ages. This is a violation of the Revenue Department rules, Nayak said adding though the Revenue Department was the authority to declare the land status, Heggade had taken the aid of the Assistant Commissioner.
It is shocking that Heggade being in such respectful position has made this false declaration and has tried to acquire land which has to be distributed to the landless, Nayak said and urged Heggade to surrender the land to the government so that it could be distributed to the landless.
Nayak further alleged that if 43.90 acres land earmarked for the landless in various survey numbers in Ujire has been given to Dharmasthala Educational Trust, the latter has not given an equal measure of land to the government to be distributed to the needy.Nayak described the land transfer to the Trust as illegal and demanded the government’s intervention so that action could be taken against those found guilty.
Pointing out to yet another irregularity, Nayak said about 42.05 acres of land on both sides of Ujire main road has been leased to Dharmasthala Education Society at the rate of Rs 9500 per acre per annum for a period of 30 years whereas it is mandatory to pay 10% of land value to the Government which sums up to Rs 50 lakh per acre per annum. Nayak urged the government to cancel the lease order as it has been done in violation of government rules. He also demanded that the government seize all land illegally acquired and distribute the same to the landless.
Regarding the Sowjanya case, he said the Trust demands CBI probe into the case and also the 450 cases of alleged suicides and 16 cases or murders reported from the area in the past 11 years.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Narendra Nayak, President of Federation of Indian Rationalists Association said that Shri Heggade has to answer many questions of the people.
President of Karnataka Krishikara Vedike Vittal Shetty Padoor, President of Karavali Mahila Jagruti Vedike Mumtaz, Narayana Kilangodi and others were present at the occasion.
