Farmers stage protest against eviction

Condemning eviction of farmers by Lakkavalli forest officials, farmers staged a protest on Monday.

In a memorandum submitted to the deputy commissioner, the farmers have said that they had been carrying out farming on the revenue land in several villages around Lakkavalli since 1960. The forest officials, however, are engaging in forcible eviction. The officials are also harassing the farmers, the complained.

The farmers said that they had already applied for title deeds under Forms 50, 53, and 57. The farmers have been depending on the land for their livelihood. The title deeds should be issued at the earliest and all the cases booked against the farmers should be withdrawn, they demanded.

DFO O Cheluvaraja, who accepted memorandum from farmers, said no notices will be served to farmers.