<p>Mandya: Emotions ran high and commotion prevailed during the protest organised by the Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti, opposing the development works taken up at the Brindavan Gardens near KRS dam in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district, on Wednesday.</p><p>Farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram said, “We staged a hunger strike, ready to give our blood, but not Cauvery water (Raktha kottevu.. neeru kodevu). Can we be quiet, if there is danger to the KRS dam?”</p><p>She took Cauvery Neeravari Nigam (CNN) Executive Engineer Jayant to task saying, “During the meeting on June 6, District In-charge Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy assured of speaking to the CM and DCM and take a decision in this regard. We respected his words and waited. But, the CNN officials have silently taken up works for the Cauvery ‘aarti’.”</p>.Cauvery 'aarti' works stalled following opposition.<p>“Those who should be in jail are inside the Vidhana Soudha. Vidhana Soudha is a house of lies. People are ready to punish those who have committed the crimes,” she said.</p><p>“The guilty officials should be punished. Why were trees felled near the dam and loads of soil dumped into the Cauvery river? The Managing Director of CNN, Srirangapatna and Melkote MLAs should come to the spot to clarify,” the farmers insisted. </p><p>Jayant said, “The primary works were carried out near the boating point near the dam for Cauvery ‘aarti’. The works were taken up as decided in a meeting chaired by the District minister and higher officers. Only the trees that were old and posing a threat were felled.”</p><p><strong>Tender copy sought</strong></p><p>The farmers and others alleged that the works were taken up even before the tender was called and asked the officials to show the tender copy.</p><p>Heavy police bandobast was made near the dam on Wednesday. The police stopped the farmers and allowed only 10 representatives from each group up to the site of Cauvery ‘aarti’. Members of Raitha, Dalit and various organisations, local gram panchayat members and villagers gathered and raised slogans against the state government. They also raised slogans that they will not allow any work related to Cauvery ‘aarti’ and amusement park near the dam.</p>
<p>Mandya: Emotions ran high and commotion prevailed during the protest organised by the Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti, opposing the development works taken up at the Brindavan Gardens near KRS dam in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district, on Wednesday.</p><p>Farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram said, “We staged a hunger strike, ready to give our blood, but not Cauvery water (Raktha kottevu.. neeru kodevu). Can we be quiet, if there is danger to the KRS dam?”</p><p>She took Cauvery Neeravari Nigam (CNN) Executive Engineer Jayant to task saying, “During the meeting on June 6, District In-charge Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy assured of speaking to the CM and DCM and take a decision in this regard. We respected his words and waited. But, the CNN officials have silently taken up works for the Cauvery ‘aarti’.”</p>.Cauvery 'aarti' works stalled following opposition.<p>“Those who should be in jail are inside the Vidhana Soudha. Vidhana Soudha is a house of lies. People are ready to punish those who have committed the crimes,” she said.</p><p>“The guilty officials should be punished. Why were trees felled near the dam and loads of soil dumped into the Cauvery river? The Managing Director of CNN, Srirangapatna and Melkote MLAs should come to the spot to clarify,” the farmers insisted. </p><p>Jayant said, “The primary works were carried out near the boating point near the dam for Cauvery ‘aarti’. The works were taken up as decided in a meeting chaired by the District minister and higher officers. Only the trees that were old and posing a threat were felled.”</p><p><strong>Tender copy sought</strong></p><p>The farmers and others alleged that the works were taken up even before the tender was called and asked the officials to show the tender copy.</p><p>Heavy police bandobast was made near the dam on Wednesday. The police stopped the farmers and allowed only 10 representatives from each group up to the site of Cauvery ‘aarti’. Members of Raitha, Dalit and various organisations, local gram panchayat members and villagers gathered and raised slogans against the state government. They also raised slogans that they will not allow any work related to Cauvery ‘aarti’ and amusement park near the dam.</p>