No compromise in protecting Dalits' interest, ready to amend PTCL Act as promised: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that his government will not come under any pressure to effectively implement the prohibition of transfer of land rights of the Dalit community.

"Our government will not come under any pressure regarding effectively implementing prohibition of transfer of land rights of Dalits. We will not make any compromise on our concern in this regard," Siddaramaiah added.

The Chief Minister on Monday chaired a meeting regarding bringing amendment to PTCL (the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer Of Certain Lands) Act with various organisations, Ministers, senior officers and legal experts and discussed the matter.

The state government's commitment to protect the interests of the Dalits' rights to own land has been reiterated in the state Budget presented recently, Siddaramaiah said.

This meeting is convened to gather opinion of the community's leaders and the state government intends to bring this amendment in the present legislature session, he added.

"There should be no repeated litigations and the intention of the PTCL Act should be effectively fulfilled. Those who lost land should not lose end up facing setback in courts. Therefore opinions of Dalit leaders and lawyers have been sought. Will take legal experts' opinions too, the Chief Minister said.

Revenue Minister Krishna Bairegowda and other Ministers, H.C. Mahadevappa, H.K. Patil, G. Parameshwara, K.H. Muniyappa, Satish Jarakiholi, Priyank Kharge, Shivaraja Tangadagi, Nagendra, K.N. Rajanna, R.B. Timmapura and Chief Secretary to Karnataka government Vandita Sharma, Secretary to Karnataka government, Social Welfare Department, P. Manivannan, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty and other senior officers, leaders of various organisations and lawyers of Dalit community were present in the meeting.