SIDDAPUR
Sirsi-Siddapur MLA Bheemanna Naik said he would stand with the people over a Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department decision concerning government land encroachments, house numbers and property taxes in gram panchayat areas.
Speaking at a meeting on forming Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas and Gram Panchayat-level guarantee committees, Naik said more than 80 percent of Uttara Kannada district is covered by forests. He noted that many gram panchayats and government buildings are located on areas classified as encroachments.
Naik said cancelling house numbers and stopping tax collection could create serious difficulties for residents and become a question of survival for people in the district. He said he would meet the Chief Minister and the concerned minister to explain the situation and request that the decision be withdrawn.
He also urged young people to register Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas, saying technical problems related to servers and networks had affected registrations in some panchayats. He said the government provides an annual grant of Rs 10 lakh to each association for youth activities and village development, and urged members to use the funds properly.
Naik further advised people who face technical problems while registering as voters through the SIR process to approach election officials if they receive notices. He also opposed the proposed implementation of the Kasturirangan report in the region, saying the state government had rejected it six times and would continue opposing it. Taluk Guarantee Implementation Committee president K.G. Nagaraj and other leaders attended the meeting. Naik assured residents that their elected representatives would continue supporting them on these issues.