The Hindu : Agitated farmers assault junior engineer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Agitated farmers assault junior engineer

By Our Staff Correspondent

Raichur Sept. 12. A rasta roko staged at the 7th Mile Cross near here by ayacutdars at the tail-end of the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal (TLBC) took a serious turn when the agitators allegedly assaulted a junior engineer of the Yermarus Irrigation Division today.

The agitators pelted stones and threw bricks at the jeep in which the engineer, J.S. Reddy, was coming to the spot. The windshield of the jeep was smashed in the incident.

A group of farmers allegedly assaulted Mr. Reddy when he reportedly gave unsatisfactory replies to questions on shortage of water supply to the tail-end areas.

The windshield of a police jeep, which was taking the injured Mr. Reddy to Raichur for treatment, was also damaged when stones were thrown at it. An attempt was also made to set the jeep afire.

Things settled down when the former Minister, Muniyappa Muddappa, who led the agitation, appealed to the farmers to remain peaceful.

About 2,000 tail-end ayacutdars from Matmari, Kalmala, Kasbe Camp, Nelhal, Kallur, and surrounding villages, led by Mr. Muddappa, gathered at the 7th Mile Cross at about 9 a.m. to stage the rasta roko. Sheik Rizwan, President of the district unit of the JD(S), Gangadhara Naik, former MLA, and office-bearers of the district unit of the party, Nageshwara Rao, Kadagol Anjaneya, and Mahantesh Patil also participated in the agitation.

The protest was against the alleged failure of the Government in providing water to the tail-end command areas in Manvi and Raichur taluks.

The protesters alleged that water, which was let into the canal on August 1, had not reached the tail-end areas so far affecting sowing.

The ayacutdars were forced to drop sowing for the rabi crop due to low storage in the reservoir.

In view of the blockade, traffic was disrupted for more than four hours.

The NEKRTC withdrew services from Raichur and Manvi.

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