×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Govt stand firm on land bank

No going back despite pressure from farmers, says minister
Last Updated 28 April 2010, 18:17 IST

The minister said industrial development would bring prosperity to farmers. “Industries create demand for the agriculture produce. The increase in demand will fetch good prices to the farmers for their produce.

Besides, industrial development leads to infrastructure development. Then people in rural areas will be able to get facilities on a par with urban areas,” he told reporters.

The KIADB is acquiring over one lakh acres in different parts of the State for creating the
land bank. It is part of the preparations for the Global Investors’ Meet scheduled for June in Bangalore.

Ravindranath said the farmers in Davanagere district produced nearly 30 lakh tonnes of maize every year. For want of a processing unit, they were not getting good prices for the maize. “Hence, the Industries Minister is encouraging industries to come up in large numbers,” he stated.

On the farmers’ protest in Davanagere demanding that the Government should return the farm land acquired already, Ravindranath, who is also in-charge Minister for Davanagere district, said: “Staging protests has become a business for a section of farmers there (Davanagere). We will not budge from our stand. The question of returning the land does not arise.”

In 2000, the then government acquired 147 acre land in Davanagere for industrial development. The land was allotted to various industrial firms to set up their units. The farmers whose land was acquired were now demanding their land back, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 28 April 2010, 18:17 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT