Revenue department workers took over 15.12 acres of gomala land identified through the survey at Arji village in Virajpet taluk on Tuesday and secured the land by erecting fences.

Thirty days ago, the taluk Gomala Samrakshana Horata Samiti had staged a protest and urged the local administration to preserve the gomala land in Arji.

Tahsildar Nandish, after holding a discussion with the committee, had ordered for a survey of the land. Accordingly, the survey department identified the 15.12 acres of land and handed over the map to the tahsildar.

The tahsildar, with the cooperation of the villagers of Arji, took over the land and installed fences.

The official meanwhile assured that all gomala land will be cleared of encroachments and the same will be protected.

Twenty-three acres of gomala land has been encroached upon. Notices will be served to 51 people to clear the encroachments within the next 30 days, he said.

Also, a five-acre land was reserved for the construction of KSRTC bus depot. Currently, the land is vacant. If the said land is taken over by the revenue department, 28 more acres of land will be recovered.

Including the land recovered on Tuesday, a total of 43.12 acres of land will be added to the gomala, he added.

Virajpet Taluk Panchayat president Smitha Prakash, Zilla Panchayat member Acchapanda Mahesh Ganapathy, Taluk Panchayat member B M Ganesh, district BJP unit former president Suja Kushalappa, Gomala Samrakshana Samiti convener M M Ravindra, members Purushottam, Ramaiah and others were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Virajpet / November 25th, 2020