A 97-year-old woman along with her three daughters staged a sit-in in front of the Kozhikode collectorate on Monday alleging that one of her grandsons had grabbed her house and 15 cents at Chettikkulam in Kottur panchayat.
Annamma Kuzhiyil, who was allegedly sent out of her house nearly seven years ago, also held the Revenue Department authorities responsible for delaying action despite her frequent complaints.
The woman, who was physically unwell after undergoing a surgery on her leg, went to the collectorate along with leaders of Malayora Karshaka Action Committee. She stayed back on the civil station premises till she could meet District Collector Seeram Sambasiva Rao and communicate her grievances directly to him.
The complainant claimed that her house and land were secured by her grandson through a property will which he had managed to obtain making fake promises. “The man who promised to take care of me was deviating from it and sent me out of the house. I am now staying with my daughter,” she complained. He daughter said the property will, which her grandson had secured through false promises, had been legally revoked by retaining the actual ownership with the mother. “Even after doing this, the local Revenue officials were not ready to accept land tax in her name. The property is still with the grandson who is not prepared to vacate it,” she alleged.
O.D. Thomas, chairman of Malayora Karshaka Action Committee, who helped the woman take up the issue with the Collector directly, said there were several such hapless mothers in the rural areas of Kozhikode, where the Revenue Department was found failing to act for their protection. “This senior woman with the support of her daughters and farm organisation leaders had approached the local authorities several times, but they failed to resolve it,” he alleged.
Mr. Thomas said the protest was called off after getting an assurance from the Collector that the complaint would be addressed at the earliest. “We hope she will get back her house as soon as the Collector gives the required instructions to Revenue officials,” he added.
