The Hindu : RPI demands land for landless

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

RPI demands land for landless

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA Jan. 6. The Republican Party of India (Atwale) will launch a nationwide "jail baro" programme from January 10 to 30 demanding land for landless agriculture labourers to commemorate the birth centenary of Dadasaheb B.K.Gaikwad, who had taken the lead in an agitation demanding land for landless in the Sixties.

A.B.Hosmani, RPI district unit President, told presspersons here on Monday that over five lakh protesters would court arrest in all State Capitals and district headquarters. In Gulbarga, more than 5,000 people would court arrest on January 10 after presenting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding land for landless agriculture labourers.

Mr. Hosmani demanded that the Centre constitute a high level commission to conduct a caste-wise survey of the landholdings to identify landless labourers for distribution of land.

Referring to the attack and burning of more than 124 houses in a Scheduled Caste colony by members of a Scheduled Tribe on December 25 at Kamalapur in Hospet taluk in Bellary District, Mr. Hosmani said the affected families were living on the streets. Although 124 houses were destroyed, 164 families had been rendered homeless in the attack by members of the Valmiki community. The Government should provide adequate protection to the families since they lived in fear. Rehabilitation work to reconstruct the houses should begin at the earliest.

Mr. Hosmani accused the Government of violating its own notification issued in filling backlog vacancies in all government departments, boards, and corporations last year. Although the notification stated that the Class I and II posts would be filled by the Karnataka State Public Service Commission (KPSC) and the Class III and IV posts would be filled by individual departments on merit and age basis, the Government was filling Class I and II posts on contract basis. The Government should cancel all contract appointments and fill these vacancies through a separate backlog recruitment commission. The State Government should write to the Centre to amend the law to prevent employed persons from applying for new posts.

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