JOIN USKIADB notice gives sleepless nights for farmers
A notice issued by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIABD) has brought sleepless nights to the farming community and residents of this village, causing fear and uncertainty about the future.
The issue is that State under Secretary K M Veeraiah has issued a gazette notification as per the direction of the Governor to acquire 245 acre of agriculture land in Ambale on January 1, 2010. The notification clearly states that nobody shall object any individual from entering the notified land and any development work on the said land, conversion, lease of the same shall be prohibited.
On these lines, KIADB Mangalore sent a notice to 250 farmers living on the said area of land to vacate the land on February 15. The notice left the farmers high and dry and made them question as to how could the government decide on such a drastic decision without collecting consent of the people. These farmers have now come out on streets to protest against the injustice meted at them and farmer organisations have joined hands.
Though they have set their foot on path of struggle, the farmers have several questions and fear in their minds. Fear of where to go, what if Government acquires land coercively and fear of whether politicians will turn their back at them.
As many as 250 farming families in Ambale and Gaudanahalli have been issued notice but the implication of the acquisition will be faced by as many as 4,000 people. Of the said 250 farmers, only 10 to 15 farmers own more than one acre of land. Rest are small farmers who have been eking out living by cultivating paddy in their small land holding.
The local panchayat has passed the resolution against the proposed industry and has sent letters to Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Tahshildar, KIADB and the CM requesting that the project must be withdrawn on the grounds that the said land is agricultural land and the area is mainly a residential area. Hence, no industry should be set up here. It is said that KIADB officials will hold a discussion with the farmers on March 26 and farmer leader Gurushanthappa said that if the discussion does not turn out to be in their favour, then they will stage fierce protest.
“Ambale is a serene hamlet and there is no place for industries here. The existing small industries have been causing trouble to us anyway. We do not want any more industries. we want to live with our agriculture land,’ says a villager.
Residents say that there is lot of forest land behind St Angle’s school, which can be used for industrial purposes but giving their fertile land for industry is far from realisation for the Government.