Bangaraguda Colony residents dare govt

Adilabad: About 200 families staying in huts in Bangaraguda Colony of Anukunta village for the last 11years have boldly resolved to resist the decision of the Revenue department officials by taking up a fight against the alleged attempts to evict them for making way for two-bedroom houses, even at the cost of losing their lives. They are extremely worried following official warnings that they would be forcibly removed if they don’t go voluntarily.

Belonging to poor and middle classes, these settlers have been receiving repeated warnings and threats from officials to pack up their belongings and leave the colony. They are mostly involved in pottery work, besides daily labour to earn their living.

The villagers have been questioning officials where they could go having been staying in the colony for 11 years. They told The Hans India here on Friday that the administration has failed to show them an alternative site, while expressing surprise why they would stay in huts if they had houses elsewhere. Besides, the residents point out that the government had provided a school, besides power and water supply. They have been paying power bills and also exercising their franchise.

“When the officials did not raise any objection initially, how could they now ask us to leave the colony”, they contend, describing the official contention as ‘unjust’ that they have houses in government land. The residents express surprise how could the administration provide power supply to the colony if they were staying illegally.

A Girijan Bheem Bai said that residents like her have been starving in anxiety of losing their huts. With fears of becoming homeless looming large, people of other areas are refusing to have matrimonial relations with the colony residents. Some marriages have already been cancelled.

Venkatesh told The Hans India that his marriage has been cancelled amid fears that he would be homeless if the Revenue officials go ahead with their resolve to shift the residents. The residents include widows and women without sons. They have appealed to the government to re-consider its decision and allow them to continue to stay there.

Revenue Divisional Officer Suryanarayana told The Hans India that these families do not possess pattas and that those staying illegally would be evicted. He said that the land of 25 acres belongs to the government, which decided shift the residents to build 2BHK houses. Hence, they are being warned to leave.

The residents question the decision of the government to regularise land-grabbing by the rich, without taking any action against such persons. They accuse the administration of adopting a vengeful attitude towards them, while pointing out that shifting from Bangaraguda would ruin their children’s academic career.

They have pleaded that it should stop harassing them and to allot house-site pattas and not to make them shelterless for the sake of providing houses to others.