'High tension' over meagre compensation for farmers

Reports of police atrocities on locals discussed at meeting with DC

The meeting was called on Tuesday after reports of police atrocities on the locals in the Hobli area. The officials said that the work would be stopped until a report on the situation was given by the KPTCL , Agriculture and Horticulture department after interacting with the locals. The officials also said the report would be given within four days.­

Background

A high tension line is being drawn to bring power from the Nandikura plant to Hassan. Several farmers have given their land for this purpose in Sakaleshpur and Alur. There have been complaints that the Government has not given the promised compensation to the farmers. The work has been completed in Sakleshpur and Aaloo and the work is in progress in the Hassan area.

On Monday evening the officials came to the land of Shakani Gowda to erect the lines but were not allowed. They demanded the promised compensation only then would they allow the construction of the line. The family members alleged that when a verbal battle ensued between them and the police, they resorted to lathi charge.

As soon as this incident took place, Shakani Gowda reported the incident to the Deputy Commissioners office with the ryot leaders by his side. Responding to the incident the Deputy commissioner called an urgent meeting on Tuesday morning.

The farmers who attended the meeting and expressed their dissatisfaction over the way several KPTCL officials worked.The farmers expressed that they were not against development but a few farmers had only an acre of land out of which they had to give more than half  for the erection of towers and the promised compensation of five to ten thousand rupees was barely enough. They had given up their land for development but had to undergo harsh treatment at the hands of the police and did not receive the compensation either.

Addressing the problems of the farmers, the deputy commissioner asked farmers to cooperate as compensation would be given only if the farm produce was destroyed and not if the land was acquired. He said that he would ask the State government for compensation. He also said that the atrocities on farmers by the police would stop and ordered the KPTCL officials to give a notice of six months for the farmers on whose land the work would be taken up.

KPTCL Superintendent engineer Boppaiah,executive engineer Honnaygowda and Joint agriculture director Shivraj were present at the meeting

Meagre compensation

Shakani Gowda alleged that he was given a B-grade compensation, which he has not yet received and the officials came and destroyed the crops and lathi charged his family members.

The farmers had to lose around a thousand arecanut trees, 120 coconut trees, 15 mango trees and huge areas of paddy and ginger fields to the upcoming electricity line, for which they have got a meagre compensation.

The police treated the women rudely and threatened us by saying they had orders from the commissioners and they also destroyed the paddy and ginger crops by driving their tractors and jeeps on the field alleged an affected Mangalalaxmi.