Forum to oppose land acquisition for bypass road

Opposing the land acquisition process for laying a bypass road, members of the Rashtriya Heddari 206 Santrastara Horata Samithi, farmers and labour organisations will stage a protest in front of the regional office of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in Bengaluru, on May 13.

Addressing a press meet, Horata Samithi member Manohar Patel said, “The land acquisition officer is acquiring the land by violating the rules, to construct bypass road. The officials should fix suitable compensation before acquiring the land.”

Thousands of farmers in Tumakuru, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru are losing their valuable farmland for the national highway. The authorities have fixed Rs 450 for one gunte farmland, he said and alleged that there was huge corruption in the project.

The survey reports have been prepared as per the whims and fancy of the officials, he alleged.

T H Shivashankarappa, a former MLA said, “The survey officials have taken bribe from the farmers. An attempt is being made to break the unity of the farming community. All the promises of the government have failed.”

TMC former president T N Gopinath said, “The promise of compensation has not been fulfilled. We will not hand over our land for meagre compensation. We will seek justice through the protest.”

Over 400 farmers in Tarikere taluk will lose their land for the project. The project covers Haliyooru, Galihalli, Channapura, Dyampura, Athiganaalu, Indavara, Geramaradi, Gantekanive, Seethapura, Hurulihalli and Belenahalli villages.

According to farmers, the notification for land acquisition was issued two years ago. Legally, the notification has lost its identity.

Let the government issue a new notification and fix the compensation as per the present land value. The farmers have not cultivated any crops on the said land for the last two years. Let the government announce compensation for the crops as well, they demanded.