President of Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha Maruti Manapade has threatened that the farmers would launch serious agitation against the state government which is “contemplating acquisition of 200,000 acres of fertile land across the state to set up special economic zones (SEZ)”. He told reporters here he has urged the state government to stop the process immediately.
Manpade accused chief minister B S Yeddyurappa of acting as a pawn in the hands of land mafia and selling the farmers’ land to the capitalists in the guise of development. He alleged that the officials had tampered with land records to claim that the land under acquisition in Bellary and Davanagere were barren while actually the holdings were fertile. He pointed out that the farmers in Gurgaon and Punjab whose lands have been acquired for industrial purpose had been paid Rs 1.5 crore per acre and alleged that in Karnataka the government what the government paid was pittance.
Instead of acquiring the land, the CM should convene a meeting of farmers to discuss and take up pro-farmer schemes, he said.
Expressing his displeasure at the quantum of compensation paid to the flood victims in North Karnataka and other places in the state Manpade said the total crop loss was to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore but the state government has disbursed Rs 800 per acre compensation and urged the government to enhance the compensation amount. He also sought amendments to the norms of payment for compensation under calamity relief fund.(CRF).
Waiver of farmers’ loans and proper supply of electricity to rural areas were his other demands. The farmers’ leader met the members of his fraternity who have been lodged in Dharwad jail after being arrested in Davanagere during jail bharo agitation.