Kannada organisations have asked the State government to protect the interests of Kannadigas in Goa whose houses, according to them, are being demolished without due process.
“The government of Goa is demolishing houses of the poor residents in Sangolda without resorting to due process,” convenor of Kannada organisations in Belagavi Ashok Chandaragi said in a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“The houses of workers from North Karnataka districts who have migrated to Goa are being labelled illegal and being demolished indiscriminately. At least 600 Kannadigas are affected by this. They are being deprived of their houses despite living in the same place for decades. The State government should use its good offices to stop this. Those who have lost their houses should be given compensation. The demolition is not just anti-Kannadiga, but also an inhuman act,” he said.
The Goa government has said that the demolition is being done as per a court order. Karnataka government should help the victims fight the case in court and file appeals. The government of Goa has taken up such demolitions in the past too,” he said.
“It has repeatedly failed to release compensation to the victims of such demolitions. It does not include Kannadiga in the list of beneficiaries of low-cost housing schemes as they are migrants. The Karnataka government should speak up for them, Mr. Chandaragi said.
Stating that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had expressed sympathies with the victims in his social media post, he noted that it was not enough.
