Karnataka - Bijapur   

Survey for irrigation project yet to begin; farmers upset

Staff Correspondent

Samiti threatens to intensify agitation

BIJAPUR: Farmers are annoyed at the State Government's failure to begin a survey for the second phase of the Indi Lift Irrigation Scheme.

They have been demonstrating in favour of the project under the banner of Indi Etha Neeravari Horata Samiti at Thamba village in Indi taluk for the past 29 days. Initially, the farmers staged a dharna. Now, they are on a relay indefinite fast. After farmers refused to participate in a meeting to be held in Bangalore, the State Government sent Minister for Major Industries Katta Subramanya Naidu, who is also the district in-charge Minister, to Thamba village last Friday, where he announced that the survey would start the next day.

Subsequently, he released a copy of a Government Order to that effect. The order directed the managing director of Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd. (KBJNL) to take steps to conduct a field survey, a pre-requisite for the detailed project report.

However, the survey has not begun. Sources in the Irrigation Zone, Kembavi, under the jurisdiction of which the work is to be taken up, said their office had not received any communication in this regard till Tuesday.

Samiti president Mallaiah Sarangamath told The Hindu over phone from Thamba that the Government was trying to hoodwink the farmers. The Government had sought time till July 10 to sort out the issue.

The samiti had called a farmers' meeting on July 9 to decide the future course of action. If the Government failed to take steps by then, the agitation would be intensified. He criticised Congress MLAs for failing to raise the issue in the Assembly.

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Survey for irrigation project yet to begin; farmers upset

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