PATIALA: The Dalit community in Nabha division of Patiala is struggling to get a share in the village common land. Their protests were followed by an inquiry into the recent allotment of agricultural land to Dalits for cultivation in Kaidupur village. The district development and panchayat officer were reportedly caught on the wrong foot in the probe.ADC, development, Patiala investigated allegations levelled by the Dalits, who staged a protest in front of the District Administrative Complex in Patiala a few days back. Dalits from Kaidupur village alleged that 15-acre share of Panchayati land out of a total of 33 acres meant for them has been wrongfully allotted to a single person.According to them, rules do not allow allotment of more than 10-acre land to a single bidder in the auction. Police arrested nine protesting members of the Dalit community, who said the allotment was done at the behest of upper caste men close to a Congress minister in the region.The inquiry report confirmed that a few clauses of the law were violated. The DDPO was ordered to rectify his mistakes and re-allot 15 acres of land after a formal auction. According to rules, one-third of the total panchayati land is meant for the Dalit community.“If our official made a mistake with malafide intention, he needs to be punished. But this was a bonafide mistake. So no action is recommended against him. We will get the land auctioned again,” said ADC, development, Patiala Showkat Ahmad Parrey.Members of the Dalit community allege that the struggle for land is not limited to Kaidupur village and that they have been protesting against discrimination in many other villages. In Binahedi village of Nabha, they said, around 15 acres of land meant for Dalits has been allocated to dummy bidders. The total panchayati land in Binahedi village is 146 acres, out of which a total of 45 acres is meant for the Dalit community. Last year too, the Dalit community could get only 24 acres of Panchayati land in an auction. But officials said the land could not be given because of legal issues.In Baudakalan village 75 of the 225 bighas land meant for Dalits was not auctioned. However, auction of land meant for the upper caste category was done on May 2. Last year too, Dalits got only 47 bighas land as a share for cultivation in common land.Condition in Sukhewal village on Malerkotla road in Patiala is the same. Here, Dalits got only six bighas out of 20 bighas meant for them. In Sarajpur and Dharukhi villages, land allotted to the Dalit community does not get proper water for irrigation as the better part is given to upper caste men,” said Raminder Singh, member of Zamin Prapti Sangharsh Committee.ADC (D) Patiala said in some of these villages, members of the Dalit community wanted to get land at Rs 10,000 per acre for contractual tilling whereas the minimum bid starts from Rs 13,000 per acre. He said everything will be done according to rules and no discrimination will be allowed.

Stay updated with all the Latest Ludhiana headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.