Over hundred slum dwellers from various areas of Udaipur laid a dharna today and protested against the administration and demanded legalization of their land. The protest was carried out under the banner of Kachhi Basti Federation.

People from more than a dozen slum areas of Udaipur marched towards collectorate, holding Marxist flags in their hands, the slum dwellers demanded justice for their land they are residing from decades.

B. L. Singhvi and Rajesh Singhvi of the Kachhi Basti Federation told that from last 35 years, thousands of poor people residing in slum areas of Udaipur are continuously demanding legalization of their land.

Rajesh Singhvi said that the first survey of these colonies was done in 1981, when there were only few huts existed and UIT had a plan to legalize these colonies on 50 paisa per sq. ft. and lot of people had deposited their hard earned money to the UIT, since then officials of UIT never returned to these colonies and when asked, they only gave assurances, excuses.

Singhvi also informed that the colonies were marked for “Pattas” or land authorization after 1981 survey, but the applications were rejected in 1998 marking these colonies as forest land, no construction zone and private property. The areas including, Kailash Colony at the downstream of Macchla Magra, Swaraj Nagar, Diwan Shah Colony, Gausiya Colony, Raza Colony, Zarina Basti, Motilal Tejawat nagar near Neemuch Mata, Chandrashekhar Azad Nagar, Neemuch Kheda, Bhilu Rana Colony near Sajjan Nagar were termed as forest land area, while colonies of Ambavgarh and Downstream of Tejawat Nagar were termed as colonies under no construction zone, Bhopa Magri colony has been termed by the UIT officials as land belonging to the Hostel, private ownership, and also Hanuman Colony which is popularly known as Kharol Colony is also termed under Private ownership.

Rajesh informed that the colonies which are marked by the UIT as forest land; the UIT itself has allotted plots on it, which includes GPF office, LIC office, PHED office, Congress Party Office, Communist Party (Marxist) Office and also UIT’s own colony and Press colony.

Singhvi’s also informed that in 1998, the then District Collector, Prem Singh Mehra had started to regularize these colonies but since his transfer no step has been taken in this regard.

Rajesh and B. L. Singhvi concluded that we demand legalization of residences of people in the slums, otherwise this protest will continue for infinite time.