Karnataka - Gulbarga   

KRRS takes exception to move on acquisition of lands

Special Correspondent

Support of farmers to be mobilised against proposal

GULBARGA: The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (Puttanaiah) and the Karnataka Red Gram Growers Association have taken exception to the proposal of the Government to allow private firms to develop industrial areas on agricultural plots above 100 acres in the State.

KRRS vice-president Basavareddy Karaddy and Red Gram Growers Association president Basavaraj Ingin told presspersons here on Tuesday that farmers organisations would oppose this move to ensure that the purpose of Sections 79 A and 79 B of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, which prohibited those having non-agriculture income of more than Rs. 2 lakh per annum from purchasing agricultural land, is not defeated.

Mr. Karaddy said that the proposal made by the Industries Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu in the Cabinet meeting on Monday and approved despite opposition from the Public Works Minister H.D. Revanna, would sound the death knell to farming activities.

He said the support of all farmers’ organisations would be mobilised to bring pressure on the Government to withdraw its decision and protect the interests of farmers.

He said that the proposal to return 8,500 square feet of developed land to farmers whose land had been acquired in lieu of monetary compensation for the acquisition was yet another attempt of the Government to fool gullible farmers.

Mr. Ingin said that it was H.D. Deve Gowda who, as Chief Minister in the 1994, was the first to dilute Land Reforms Act by allowing private firms to set up horticulture farms on agriculture lands and now the coalition Government, headed by his son H.D. Kumaraswamy, has opened the floodgates for private firms and individuals to acquire agriculture land through the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).

Mr. Ingin said that this decision would also have its impact on foodgrain production in the State with the shrinking of agricultural lands which would be converted as industrial areas.

Mr. Karaddy said that the Bhoomi Thayi Horata Samiti, which had been struggling for saving agriculture lands, would not allow the acquisition of agriculture lands by private firms for industrial purpose and oppose it at all levels.

They also wanted the Union Government to accept the recommendations of a Parliamentary committee to bring in changes in the land acquisition process and make it farmer friendly.

Farmers organisations would oppose the move to acquire land for the proposed special economic zones in the State, he said.

The KRRS and other organisations would organise a three-day in-house workshop and training on “Zero Budget Agriculture Practices” from August 6 in Gulbarga. It would focus on using the nature farming concept of agriculture scientist Subash Palekar.

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