Fact-finding team blames land mafia for slum fires

Fact-finding team blames land mafia for slum fires
Deccan Herald

A fact-finding team comprising voluntary and human rights organisations alleged the hand of land mafia behind the recent fires that devastated three slums in Bangalore in the past two weeks.

A fact-finding team comprising voluntary and human rights organisations alleged the hand of land mafia behind the recent fires that devastated three slums in Bangalore in the past two weeks.

They presented the report to the media on Monday. “Land mafia is behind the burning down of Vinayaka Badawane on February 9, Jai Bheem Nagar and J D Mara on February 18,” Clifton D Rosario of Alternative Law Forum said.

According to Isaac Selva of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), “In Jai Bheem Nagar, Councillor L Shivanna had reportedly ordered the slum dwellers to vacate the place by Ugadi. In J D Mara, police have named the land owner along with two watchmen as the primary suspects. In Vinayaka Badawane, people alleged that the goondas and the Councillor were behind the fire.”

He added that since the slums were “undeclared”, they do not fall under the purview of the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board and there have been deliberate attempts to destroy them and force the dwellers to evacuate the place.

The team has come out with a report and a list of demands that includes providing shelter, food and health care to the slum dwellers, compensation to the victims in J D Mara and Jai Bheem Nagar and police action against the accused.

“The government should declare all existing slums within a fixed time period. As per a government order, slums that have come up after 1991 will not be recognised. All the three slums are undeclared. The government should also come out with a policy on how to respond to slum fires,” Clifton said.

The team comprised PUCL, PDF, Slum Jagatthu, AIDWA, Madiga Misalarti Horata Samithi, SFI, DYFI, APSA, Pedestrian Pictures, Vomochana and ALF.