Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene took out a protest march in Belagavi on Monday demanding a change in the planned route of the Belagavi-Hubballi new railway line saying that it will take away the livelihood of several farmers as it passes through fertile irrigated land.
They sat in dharna at the Rani Channamma Circle and marched to Deputy Commissioner’s office and also the office of Member of Parliament Mangala Angadi. They shouted slogans against the Government for deciding on the railway track route without consulting farmers. The State Government has virtually given a go-ahead for the project as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has sanctioned ₹950 crore to the project in the budget. This is unacceptable, they said.
They said that the proposed line passed through Gurlgunji, Desur, Rajhansgad, Nandihalli, Nagenhalli, KK Kopp and Halagimaradi villages that have fertile land with irrigation facilities. Acquiring such rich land will snatch away farmers livelihood and bring them to the streets. They demanded that the alignment of the route be changed before the Government goes ahead with land acquisition.
