Shivamogga: MLA Sharada Pooryanaik stated that the attitude of government officials towards farmers is not right. The government must stop issuing eviction notices to farmers.
Speaking during a protest staged by farmers under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene on the premises of the deputy commissioner’s office in Shivamogga on Tuesday, the MLA said the Revenue and Forest Department officials should maintain good rapport with the farmers. It is not right to put the farmers in distress. This was discussed in the session, she said and asked farmers not to worry.
“In the pretext of notices, officials should refrain from unnecessarily harassing farmers who have obtained cultivation certificates,” she warned.
She said the issue has also been discussed with District In-charge Minister Madhu Bangarappa and the minister has also assured to safeguard the interests of farmers.
Addressing the agitating farmers, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene president H R Basavarajappa said the Sharavathi Project evacuees in the district have been given land in other parts of the district. Similarly, others have also been allotted revenue land and grazing land. While some farmers have been living there for the past 60 years with title deeds, some farmers who have been cultivating Bagair hukum land for 30-40 years have not been given title deeds, he complained.
He also alleged that the Forest Department has submitted a complaint to the assistant commissioner stating that the lands allotted to the Sharavathi project evacuees and farmers belong to the Forest Department. So, the farmers have been given notices. The act is condemnable.
Earlier in the day, they took out a massive protest rally from the Science ground to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
The office-bearers of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene Hittur Raju, T M Chandrappa, K Raghavendra, E B Jagadish, Hanumant, Manjunath, KL Ashok, Narayan, Hanumamma and others were present.