'Govt not allotting land for farmers'

Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha President Maruthi Manpade alleged that the government has not been allotting land for the seven lakh farmers, who had been awaiting approval since several years.

Addressing a meeting to discuss amendement of Land Acquisition Act and Bagair Hukum, in Hassan on Friday, Manpade said while the government has been citing legal hurdles for allotting lands for the poor farmers, industrialists like Ashok Kheny are getting required land allotted without any hassles. The farmers should fight against such government policies, he said.

About 22 lakh farmers cultivating in Bagair Hukum lands have submitted applications, out of which 12.35 lakh applications have been rejected by the government.

Even after six years of Justice Gopalagowda’s verdict, no survey works have been initiated so far. But a few farmers who had been cultivating in one or two acres of government land have been vacated and projected as encroachers, he lamented.

He termed the amendment of Land Acquisition Act as dangerous and demanded withdrawal of the same. The government should also clarify and explain its stand on the Kasturirangan report, he stressed.

Padayatra
The Association is planning to take out a padayatra to Bengaluru with a minimum of one lakh farmers soon, he said.