Mangaluru: Mulgars’ Association president Clarence Pais has said that the Association and some individual Mulgars have filed writ petitions before the Karnataka High Court against the Mulageni Act and have also filed an interlocutory application for a stay against the Act as well as the rules of the Act.

State government had notified Karnataka Conferment of Ownership on Mulageni or Vola Mulageni Rules 2015 on November 7, 2016, Pais told reporters. The High Court has posted hearing of the writ petition and interlocutory application to November 30.

He appealed to district administration not to precipitate the matter by implementing the Act and rules which are challenged before the High Court. He cautioned members of the public to not sign agreements related to Mulageni properties as the Mulgars writ petition before High Court was with a view to declare the Act and rules unconstitutional.

“Banks and financial institutions are also informed that any mortgage loan that is given on Mulageni properties will be at on their own risk in view of pending writ petition before the court,” he warned.

D B Mehta of Mulgars Association said that whatever Mulageni land was left in the district was rendered non agricultural property in the name of hotels, hospitals and factories. Mulageni property is not unique to this coastal belt. It is nothing but a perpetual lease property, he said. “Through the Act, the government is making landlords paupers and making tenants new landlords,” he said.