Land acquisition: Agriculture committee flays MRPL's claims

 Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti has claimed that MRPL’s statement on the acquisition of lands at Permude, Kuttettur, Tenkayekkaru and Delantabettu are false.

Samiti President Madhukar Amin said on Saturday that MRPL Managing Director H Kumar has released a press statement on May 13 claiming that the land acquisition towards extension of MRPL is being done only after seeking the consent of villagers. In reality, the villagers residing in the above said villages are against the acquisition, Amin insisted.

Samiti Vice President Hemalatha S Bhat said that in the Gram Sabha of Permude and Kuttettur on May 5, the acquisition of land by KIADB for the extension of MRPL has been unanimously opposed and a resolution has been passed on the same. “Also, according to a survey conducted by the Samiti, 85 per cent of the people are not interested in handing over the land to MRPL. The objection, given in writing by 85 per cent of the land owners and farmers in the village, has been submitted to the chief minister through the deputy commissioner. The same has been brought to the notice of the District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai, MLA K Abhayachandra Jain, Chief Secretary to the government of Karnataka, KIADB CEO, and other officials concerned,” she explained.

Amin further said that during the first phase extension of MRPL, 2035 acres of land were denotified for the sake of Special Economic Zone. The denotification of the very land was cancelled in 2011. Out of the land, MRPL is trying to acquire 1050 acres for the fourth phase, he added.

Another Vice President and Secretary Lawrence alleged that several staff of MRPL have purchased the land in the areas marked for acquisition, which gives room for suspicion. “There is an intention to hand over the land purchased by them to MRPL. The company has been creating fake letters of consent in the names of the villagers,” he said, and complained that the corrupt officials of KIADB are hand in glove with MRPL. They have not been revealing any documents pertaining to land acquisition, he claimed.

The office-bearers of the committee said that they will conduct intense protests in the days to come, if the government issues notice for land acquisition without conducting social impact study and obtaining public consent, as per Right to Fair compensation and transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.