Date:14/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/14/stories/2005051409470300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

Demolition leads to tension at Kuditini

Staff Correspondent

BELLARY: Tension gripped Kuditini village, 20 km. from Bellary, over stopping encroachment clearance that began on Friday morning.

Parts of a four-acre plot, which is used for the car procession of a local temple during the annual fair, were encroached upon some time ago.

A petrol station, huts and buildings and hotels have come up on that land. The villagers decided to clear all encroachments to make way for the temple car festival on May 18.

They requested the encroachers to vacate the land.

Some of them agreed and vacated the land, while others refused. An earth moving equipment was pressed into service.

Demolition continued till afternoon.

However, tension gripped the village when demolition of buildings was stopped, reportedly at the behest of the Special Tahasildar of Kurgodu, Kotrappa.

An agitated group of people took Mr. Kotrappa to task for stopping demolition of buildings.

The police had a tough time in controlling the crowd.

Traffic on National Highway 63 was affected for some time when villagers staged a dharna on it.

The villagers seemed to be pacified only when the authorities assured them to go ahead with the demolition drive.