Farmers of many villages in Shivamogga taluk, on Tuesday, staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shivamogga demanding that the land they had been cultivating should not be returned to Tungabhadra Sugar Works Ltd.
Shivamogga Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra and other BJP leaders led the protest. Mr. Raghavendra, addressing the protesters, said many farmers had been cultivating the land that once belonged to Tungabhadra Sugar factory, now defunct. However, the recent court order had favoured the restoration of the land to the factory. “The latest development has left the farmers worried. Now it is the responsibility of the State Government to come to the rescue of the farming community,” he said.
BJP district president T.D. Megharaj alleged that the Congress government was interested in evicting the farmers from the land they had been cultivating.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to Assistant Commissioner Satyanarayana in this regard. Farmers and students took part in the protest.