Dharwad Kannada Parishat Awaits Land Lease Renewal

DHARWAD

While there is loud talk of promoting and protecting the interest of Kannada language, the organizations working for Kannada are not getting due support from the government. Dharwad District Kannada Sahitya Parishat (DDKSP) which has its office and Sahitya Bhavan located near RN Shetty Stadium, is waiting for the lease of the land to be renewed. It has been 31 years since the lease has lapsed and till date, the efforts to get it lease renewed have continued.

It was in 1989 that the state government granted 1.1 acre of land on lease for five years near the district stadium to the DDKSP to carry out its activities. When Shivanand Gali was the President of the DDKSP, it was planned to construct Sahitya Bhavan and a committee under the chairmanship of HK Patil was constituted. A new building came up and was inaugurated on Oct 19, 1995 by which time, the lease period was over. The office bearers of DDKSP made no effort then to get the lease period renewed and Sahitya Bhavan had continued to function. Over the period, the premises saw buildings housing a meeting hall, president's office and a library.

In 2021, Deputy Commissioner sent notices to all the properties which had been given by the government on lease and the lease period of which had expired. The Deputy Commissioner had asked the occupants to vacate the premises.

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DDKSP President Lingaraj Angadi said he has been running from pillar to post to get the lease renewed but to no avail. “We have paid the annual land rent till 2022-23 and are waiting for the government to respond. Recommendations for renewal of lease by ministers and legislators and Kannada luminaries have not worked,” he lamented.