Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has urged the State government to take a decision in the Cabinet and issue an order to ensure ‘kumki and kana-bana’ land rights to farmers in the State.

Addressing reporters in the City on Wednesday, Kateel alleged that the Congress-led State government has failed to fulfil the assurances it made in its manifesto – of providing kumki and kana-bana rights to farmers.

“Revenue Minister Srinivas Prasad has submitted an affidavit to the court that kumki rights should not be sanctioned to farmers. The Supreme Court has upheld the order of the High Court that the deputy commissioner should be given powers to take decision on kumki lands,” said the MP.

He explained that when the BJP was in power in the State, a notification was prepared in this regard and was sent for the contest of the then Governor H R Bhardwaj, to sanction kumki land to farmers. The consent, however, was not given.

Kateel further said that in order to create awareness among farmers on their kumki rights, a meet of farmers will be held by the district unit of the BJP in Puttur on February 6.

Stating that kumki land adjacent to an agriculture land is essential for taking up sustainable agricultural activities, the MP said no farmer could undertake an integrated agricultural practice in the absence of kumki land.

“It is important for farmers to have access and rights to kumki land where they can allow their cattle to graze, collect leaves and other natural waste to produce compost for agriculture. The move of the government to curtail the rights of the farmers is a anti-farmer policy. The BJP will not allow the State government to curb any provision or place restrictions of granting kumki rights to farmers,” warned Kateel.

Protest at Puttur

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene organised a protest against the State government for taking away the rights over kumki land of the farmers on Wednesday.

Addressing the protesters, Raitha Sangha General Secretary Kumara Subrahmanya Shastri warned of farmers staging a mass movement against the move of the State government.

“The kumki right should be given to the farmers in patta document. Owing to lack of will power of the elected representatives, the farmers are facing problem. If we fail to get any assurance from the elected representatives, we may have to teach a lesson to the representatives in the upcoming elections,” he said.

Shastri said that the real estate mafia is not being carried out in Kumki land of the farmers. The farmers need to have kumki land for strengthening agriculture activities.

Former MLC Anna Vinayachandra said that the government should come to the rescue of the farmers.