Giving permanence to slums

Govt. acts on Gowda's diktat: Distributes possession certificates to slum people
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Nearly a month before the deadline set by former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo, the coalition government led by Chief Minister Dharam Singh hasstarted distributing possession certificates to slum dwellers in Bangalore.

Gowda at Daridra Naryana rally organised by the JD (S) at the Palace Grounds a few months ago had set October 2 deadline to Dharam Singh government to issue possession certificates to slum dwellers in the city.

On Monday, Gowda distributed possession certificates to slum dwellers in Chamarajpet Assembly Constituency represented by JD (S) member B Z Zameer Ahamed Khan.

While thanking the Chief Minister for acting on his request, Gowda said that similar programmes will be organised in other Constituencies represented by other party members.

Gowda recalled that, he as a Chief Minister had given similar certificates to slum people in 1995. He asked the government not to demolish the slums or houses built on any government land. ``All houses built by the poor on a government should be regularised. Let the poor vote for the party of their choice. But the government should not displace them from their houses,'' he said.

Making an obvious reference to former Chief Minister by S M Krishna, Gowda said that nearly 140 families were forcibly vacated by the previous government.

``Nothing happened in the last five years. The poor were neglected and their houses demolished. To protect these poor families, the party was forced to organise Daridra Narayana rally,'' he said. Though the programme was organised by the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board, it was looking like a JD (S) party programme with banners and buntings of party leaders all around the venue at Idgah Maidan in Chamarajpet.