Opposing acquisition of their farmlands for industries by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, farmers of Chikka Malligawad and Hire Malligawad villages took out a protest march and staged a demonstration in Dharwad on Monday. They submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister to the officials of district administration.
Staging a demonstration before the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad, the farmers said that they already had a bitter experience of donating lands to industries, housing projects and others.
The government which had assured of paying market price for the lands during land acquisition had failed to keep its promise subsequently. The assurance regarding recruiting local youths in the industries had also not been met, they said. So, now they are left with no land or jobs for the members of the families who had donated lands, they alleged.
The protesting farmers alleged that KIADB had issued notices to the farmers regarding acquisition of 537 acres of land for the industries and the land identified was fertile land.
They urged the KIADB officials to immediately drop the land acquisition process in the interest of the lives of the farmers. Despite the Supreme Court order that fertile lands should not be acquired for commercial projects, KIADB had identified those lands for the acquisition, they said.
The protesting farmers warned that they would be forced to intensify the agitation, if KIADB did not pay heed to their demand. Mahadev Doddmani, Mallavva Mayadwad, Ashok Enagi, Nagappa Angadi, Basappa Swadi, Chandrashekar Garag and others led the protest.
