The Hindu : Karnataka News : Farmers lock up panchayat office

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Farmers lock up panchayat office

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, JUNE 9. Farmers of villages in the Tadasuru Gram Panchayat limits in Tiptur taluk of Tumkur district on Wednesday locked up the panchayat office and protested against, what they alleged, misuse of rice that was issued under the Food-for-Work Scheme and the Jala Sarakshana Yojana.

The farmers said the rice was supposed to be issued to farmers to be employed in building bunds in their fields under the Food-for-Work Scheme.

The farmers had registered their names with the panchayat secretary by remitting a fee of Rs. 50. As much as 440 quintals of rice were released to the panchayat, they said and alleged that the rice was, however, not issued to them. Only 20 quintals of rice was in the panchayat stores now, they claimed.

The secretary, Gurusiddaiah, they said, was not available.

C. Devaraju, President of the Raitha Sangha, and Gurumurthy, President of Krishik Samaj, who held talks with the farmers, said the officials concerned should be held responsible for the irregularity. They said the officials had favoured only a few farmers. Their action had caused enmity among the farmers.

The "corrupt'' officials had been causing unrest in the villages "only to save their skin,'' they said. A senior official from the Tumkur Zilla Panchayat and another from the Tiptur Taluk Panchayat visited the spot and inquired about the rice stock. The panchayat secretary was not present.

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