The farming community of the Malnad region, particularly in Shivamogga, is looking for ‘Bhoo Bhagya’, while the Siddaramaiah-led State government is busy working out strategies to implement Anna Bhagya and other guarantees.
Much before the Congress came up with the five guarantees ahead of the elections, both Mr. Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar, now Deputy Chief Minister, had made a list of promises to the people of the Malnad region. Addressing a rally of farmers in Shivamogga on November 28, 2022, both of them assured the people that they would ensure all those families displaced by the Sharavati hydel project would get land, the forest dwellers would get land granted, and the mutation of revenue land as forest would be stopped, among others.
Besides this, the Congress had also formed a committee of its leaders to submit a report on issues bothering the farming community in the region. “Now, it is the duty of the Congress government to fulfil the promises made. In fact, the State government should take up our demands on priority as these promises were made well before the much-debated five guarantees,” maintained Ti.Na. Srinivas, president, Malenadu Raitara Horata Samiti. The samiti has resolved to launch a series of protests on August 15 if the government failed to act on its promises by then.
