Karnataka - Shimoga   

Samiti protests `arbitrary decision' on identifying land for airport at Sogane

Special Correspondent

Eshwarappa's reported remarks criticised

SHIMOGA: The reported statement by Minister for Water Resources K.S. Eshwarappa that the formalities for establishing an airport at Sogane, about seven km from here, have been completed has caused apprehensions among farmers, according to the Sogane Bhoomi Hakku Raithara Horata Samiti.

In a statement here, the samiti said farmers had protested several times after the lands bearing the survey nos.120, 150, 156, 119 and 111 in Sogane were identified by the Airports Authority of India and the district administration for the airport.

It said that though the Deputy Commissioner had promised to arrange a meeting of Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa with the farmers to discuss their problems on July 20, it was postponed without assigning any reason.

Mr. Eshwarappa reportedly told a meeting held at the Chief Minister's residence "Krishna" in Bangalore that the final decision on establishing the airport, for which the land measuring about 670 acres had been acquired, had been taken. The samiti said: "It is surprising that Mr. Eshwarappa being the local MLA made the statement without visiting the area and discussing the matter with the local people."

The samiti said launching a protesting against the "arbitrary decision" in the matter had become inevitable, as the authorities concerned had not discussed the matter with the local people. "We are opposed to is the surreptitious manner in which the local cultivators are sought to be evicted from the lands which we are cultivating since long," it said.

The statement was signed by president of the samiti K.T. Gangadhar, general secretary M.B. Krishnappa, legal adviser N.G. Murughesh and vice-president Mahadev Siddharagudi.

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Samiti protests `arbitrary decision' on identifying land for airport at Sogane

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