Farmers oppose land acquisition in various parts of Belgaum district

In Athani

Farmers opposed the planned land acquisition at Sankonatti in the Athani rural area, during a meeting of farmers’ leaders under the chairmanship of incharge Deputy Commissioner Ajaykumar Nagabhushan. They flayed the unilateral decision of the government.

The government is making efforts to acquire lands to rehabilitate people from Ingalagaon, Teertha, Hulagabali, Saptasagara and other villages, who are affected by the backwaters of the Hipparagi irrigation project. The meeting was put off to July 21.

In Bailhongal

Farmers have come out against the planned acquisition of 648 acres of land for the Suvarna Karnataka industrial corridor project at Kittur and Dombarakoppa villages of Bailhongal taluk. They submitted a memorandum to incharge Deputy Commissioner Ajaykumar Nagabhushan, under the leadership of district youth JD(S) president Syed Mansoor in Belgaum on Thursday.

The farmers said they were growing paddy and jowar on the land for generations, besides mango. Giving up land would rob them of their livelihood, the farmers said.   

Though they had opposed the acquisition, after KIADB issued notices in this regard an year ago, KIADB had not given up the acquisition process, the farmers said.

Syed Mansoor alleged that only eight companies had shown interest in setting up shop in the district and they would require 2,500 acres. Yet, plans were afoot to acquire 12,900 acres, he said.