Currently, the poor in Shettigere village—right beside the Bangalore International Airport Road—are bearing the brunt of development as their houses are being demolished to relocate the toll booth.
Somebody has to pay the price of development. Mostly, that somebody is the poor man. Currently, the poor in Shettigere village—right beside the Bangalore International Airport Road—are bearing the brunt of development as their houses are being demolished to relocate the toll booth.
When Ramkrishna, a resident of Shettigere, returned to his village on Friday evening, all he found was rubble. His house had been flattened. For three days, his family, consisting of 10 members, including six children aged between two and eight years, had been taking shelter in neighbours’ houses, a temple and in a shop in the village.
The village is a few metres away from the Sadanahalli gate and the current toll booth. It is being razed to relocate the toll booth and widen the BIA Road. The residents of the village have been running from pillar to post, trying to save their tiny settlements. But early in the afternoon on Friday, those who had not gone to work were shocked to see one of the houses being flattened. Even as they tried to make sense of the situation, another quickly came crashing down. Two houses were razed on Friday.
The residents have been living in the village for 40-50 years. They have ration cards but no documents to show that the land belongs to them. “The documents show that this is government land,” they say. “We got notices about a year ago that our houses would be destroyed to make way for the road to Bangalore airport. We have been meeting MLAs, DC, tahsildhar and trying to stop the works for one year,” said one of the residents, not wishing to be named.
Although the government has provided alternative land for the 22 families whose homes will be destroyed, in the neighbouring Navaratna Agrahara village, the residents of Shettigere are not keen to relocate.
“The people there do not want us to move in. They are protesting, saying that is their land and they do not want us to live there. How are we supposed to shift and be sure of our safety when we are not welcome there!” asks Janakki Amma.
Successful relocation
What the villagers could not achieve by a year of running around, they achieved by fasting. On Monday afternoon, the tahsildar arrived at their tent, where they were fasting, and assured them that land has been found for them in another neighbouring village, Doddajalla, survey number 46. He said all the 22 families, whose homes are being destroyed, will be relocated there. Until the formalities of the resettlement are done, the homes of these families will not be touched, he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}