Deccan Herald: Karnataka: Monday, June 23, 2025.
Speaking to DH, Association
President Manohar Mahendrakar said they had submitted a request to allot plots
to 105 ex-servicemen.
The Davangere District Ex-servicemen Multipurpose Association has decided to file applications under the Right to Information Act (RTI) with 42 gram panchayats, seeking details of available government land that can be developed into residential plots for defence veterans.
This move comes after the district administration denied their request for land allotment, citing the unavailability of the land. In response, the association has urged its members to collect precise land records across the district.
Speaking to DH, Association President Manohar Mahendrakar said they had submitted a request to allot plots to 105 ex-servicemen. However, the officials responded that no land was available and advised the association to identify suitable land themselves for allotment, he said.
“We have, hence, decided to submit RTI applications to 42 gram panchayats. The authorities must provide accurate land details. Based on that, we will decide the next step,” he said.
He added that previously, the district administration used to allot five acres of land per exserviceman. Over time, as land became scarce, they were offered residential plots developed by government bodies.
But now, even the government agencies are finding it difficult to develop residential plots due to high land prices. As a result, ex-servicemen struggle to acquire land, he said.
He reiterated that norms entitle each ex-serviceman to five acres of land, but securing even a small plot has become difficult.
The association has 210 registered members from Davangere taluk alone and there are 570 ex-servicemen in the district, he said.
Recalling earlier efforts, Mahendrakar said in the 1990s, the government allotted two acres at Tholahunase near Davangere, which were developed into plots and distributed free of cost to 108 ex-servicemen, and the association covered the registration charges.
Tholahunase bill collector Lohith noted that the village, once called “the village of soldiers,” saw its soldier count drop from over 300 to under 100.
The association now encourages youth to join the army, offering the lure of a plot as land prices keep rising in and around Davangere.
The Davangere District Ex-servicemen Multipurpose Association has decided to file applications under the Right to Information Act (RTI) with 42 gram panchayats, seeking details of available government land that can be developed into residential plots for defence veterans.
This move comes after the district administration denied their request for land allotment, citing the unavailability of the land. In response, the association has urged its members to collect precise land records across the district.
Speaking to DH, Association President Manohar Mahendrakar said they had submitted a request to allot plots to 105 ex-servicemen. However, the officials responded that no land was available and advised the association to identify suitable land themselves for allotment, he said.
“We have, hence, decided to submit RTI applications to 42 gram panchayats. The authorities must provide accurate land details. Based on that, we will decide the next step,” he said.
He added that previously, the district administration used to allot five acres of land per exserviceman. Over time, as land became scarce, they were offered residential plots developed by government bodies.
But now, even the government agencies are finding it difficult to develop residential plots due to high land prices. As a result, ex-servicemen struggle to acquire land, he said.
He reiterated that norms entitle each ex-serviceman to five acres of land, but securing even a small plot has become difficult.
The association has 210 registered members from Davangere taluk alone and there are 570 ex-servicemen in the district, he said.
Recalling earlier efforts, Mahendrakar said in the 1990s, the government allotted two acres at Tholahunase near Davangere, which were developed into plots and distributed free of cost to 108 ex-servicemen, and the association covered the registration charges.
Tholahunase bill collector Lohith noted that the village, once called “the village of soldiers,” saw its soldier count drop from over 300 to under 100.
The association now encourages youth to join the army, offering the lure of a plot as land prices keep rising in and around Davangere.
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