Mangaluru: The District Administration in association with the Zilla Panchayat and the DK District Backward Class Welfare Department, observed the 33rd Death Anniversary of Devraj Urs, at the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises here, on June 6.
District minister in-charge B Ramanath Rai offered a garland to the portrait of Devraj Urs. Later, all the dignitaries lit the lamp.
Addressing the gathering, Ramanath Rai said that D Devaraj Urs served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka for two separate terms. “During his tenure as the CM, he implemented the “Elimination of poverty” agenda. He worked for the welfare of the backward class. He stressed on education of the backward classes of society, and establishment and maintenance of hostels for them. He also introduced allocation of stipend funds for the 16,000 odd unemployed members of the backward class in the society, and abolition of bonded labor, night soil carrying duties allocated solely to members of the Dalit.”
He further said that land reforms were also introduced according to which the tiller or the farmer became the owner of a land. These land reforms were especially applauded as they were instrumental in eliminating the Zamindar system. They afforded self-respect and a sense of dignity to the farmers who were hitherto treated as bonded labour. Devraj Urs was the voice of the poor and stood for the cause of the downtrodden in society and introduced many reforms that targeted the depressed classes of Karnataka, namely the scheduled castes and the other backward class..
DC Ibrahim, Chairman of MUDA Kodijal Ibrahim and ZP CEO Shreevidya were also present.