DC promises compensation

Farmers protest against inordinate delay in getting relief

She spoke in the backdrop of a protest staged outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Wednesday. Receiving the memorandum from the protesting farmers, Dr Manjula promised that the demands would be fulfilled in stages.

Farmers from Yaluvalli, Devashettihalli, Bidaganahalli and other villages staged a dharna in relation to the widening of the National Highway 7 on the outskirts of Chikkaballapur city.

Promise of refund

The Deputy Commissioner said the matter that compensation was not given to farmers whose fields were taken over by the Government to undertake the road-widening project was brought to light recently. As fixed before, compensation of Rs 20 lakhs per acre of land would be given to the farmers. The issues brought forth in previous meetings would be analysed and appropriate steps would be taken.

She added that measures would also be taken for the right utilisation of land that remains as per the survey conducted on the land given for widening of the road. Research would be conducted in every village for this, she said.

Measures would be taken to replace the land for people who lost all their land to the project. People who lost their houses and plots too would be compensated. She assured that steps would be taken to recall the case filed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in the court in relation to compensations.

Protest staged

Yaluvalli N Ramesh had explained to the DC the number and the condition of the farmers who had lost their lands. He also gave the figures on how many people have not yet received compensation.

He also mentioned how the bereft farmers were even driven to commit suicide and requested the district administration to take immediate steps to alleviate the problems of the farmers.

Ramesh speak to the NHAI project director, Gupta, who was present during the meeting and requested him to speak to higher authorities over the issue and get the compensation reach the farmers.