Mangaluru, 28 August 2026: Long-pending issues related to DC Mannā land in Dakshina Kannada district will be resolved soon, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. said.
He was speaking at a district-level grievance meeting of leaders representing the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, held at the Netravathi Hall of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat on Thursday.
Deputy Commissioner said around 190 acres of DC Mannā land currently available in the district would be considered for allotment, giving priority to people who do not have house sites or land. Where necessary, land would also be purchased and allotted. He said the issue requires a decision at the Government level and that it had already been discussed during a meeting with the revenue minister.
2,222 Applications Received
Dalit leader Ramesh Kotyan raised the issue and demanded comprehensive information on DC Mannā land in the district. He recalled that following a Dalit protest in 2017, a demand had been made for 10 cents of land in urban areas and at least one acre of agricultural land in rural areas. Despite several Deputy Commissioners taking charge over the years, the issue remained unresolved.
According to information shared at the meeting, 7,377 acres of DC Mannā land have been allotted in the district. A total of 2,222 applications have been received from Dalits seeking land and house sites. Of these, 1,977 applicants have sought agricultural land, while 245 applicants from Mangaluru have sought house sites. As many as 1,268 applications are from landless persons.
Deputy Commissioner said priority should be given to landless applicants and that providing agricultural land could help improve their livelihoods. A proposal in this regard has already been submitted to the State Government, he said. He added that correspondence with the Government on the issue had been continuing since September last year.
Action Against Encroachment
Dalit leaders also raised concerns over the encroachment of DC Mannā land in some areas and demanded that such land be recovered or alternative land be provided. Deputy Commissioner said non-Dalits cannot encroach upon DC Mannā land and assured that action would be taken to clear such encroachments.
Where government buildings or public-purpose structures such as community halls have already been constructed on DC Mannā land, alternative land can be identified, he said. The process would involve action at three levels.
Food Kits for Tribal Families Delayed
The meeting also raised the issue of food kits not being supplied to Koraga and Malekudiya tribal families in Dakshina Kannada for the past six months. Responding to the concern, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. said the delay was due to the State-level tender process.
“The system will be put in place soon,” he said, adding that the delay in providing food kits was unfortunate and that steps would be taken to prevent such a situation from recurring.
Ambedkar Circle Project to Move Ahead
Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Rahul Rattam Pandey said a site inspection had already been conducted for construction of an Ambedkar Circle in the heart of Mangaluru city.
He said an action plan would be prepared within a month, following which the project would be taken up for tender. Dalit leaders expressed dissatisfaction that the Ambedkar Circle project had remained pending despite funds having been allocated and the foundation stone having been laid earlier.
Concerns Over Atrocities Cases
Meeting also discussed delays in addressing cases of atrocities against members of the SC and ST communities. Dalit leaders, including Amala Jyothi, alleged that the district-level Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) lacked basic infrastructure despite efforts to strengthen the mechanism. They also alleged that some police stations were reluctant to register cases involving atrocities against SC and ST communities.
Police Commissioner Sudheer Reddy said Dakshina Kannada was among the places where a dedicated DCRE police station had been established for SC and ST communities. Unit had been functioning for only around six months and would require some time to improve, he said, while acknowledging a shortage of staff.
He clarified that police stations had not stopped registering atrocity cases and that complaints could be lodged at the police station concerned. People living near the DCRE unit could also approach it directly, he added.
Several other issues were raised by leaders including S.P. Anand, Shekhar Laila, Girish Kumar, Premanath Ballal Bagh, Jagadish and Ashok Konchady.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Dr. Arun Kumar, Zilla Panchayat CEO Narvade Vinayak Karbhari, DCF Ravishankar, DCP Mithun, District Social Welfare Officer Dr. Hemalatha, DCRE ST Simon, Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Rahul Pandey and AC Meenakshi Arya were present.
Keywords
DC Mannā land Dakshina Kannada, DC Mannā land Mangaluru, Dalit grievance meeting, SC ST Karnataka, landless Dalits Dakshina Kannada, Ambedkar Circle Mangaluru, H V Darshan, Citizen News Puttur