Udupi: Former MLA of Udupi, Raghupathi Bhat, who commenced a dharna in front of the Udupi Urban Development Authority (UUDA) office on Monday, withdrew his protest on Tuesday. “I have been granted a single site for my land in Badanidiyoor village. This is a victory for the law,” Bhat said.The former MLA, who was expelled from the BJP, said even though he applied for a single site for his land in Badanidiyoor village two years ago, the UUDA policy of delay in approving it led him to protest indefinitely against injustice starting from Monday during office hours. “Today, the commissioner of the UUDA reviewed all my land documents, and following legal advice from judges, issued the order for the single site. This is a triumph for the law,” Bhat said. In fact, Bhat had plans to develop a beach resort on 1.6 acres in Badanidiyoor, Udupi taluk. He said all necessary permissions for the project were obtained, and an application for single layout approval was submitted to the UUDA on March 20, 2024. However, even after two years, he was not issued a single layout approval by the UUDA, forcing him to sit on a dharna, he said. “Throughout my public life, I have been involved in many social struggles. However, this was the first time I had to protest for a personal issue. During this time, many people supported me with encouraging words over phone and in person. Additionally, various organisations from different communities and religions supported my personal struggle. I am grateful to everyone who supported me. I extend my gratitude to all the organisations and the people of Udupi,” he added.
