A recent Karnataka High Court order that favoured the restoration of the khata of the vast tracts of land on the outskirts of Shivamogga city with the owners of the now-defunct Tungabhadra sugar factory has left many farmers worried.
Those farmers who cultivated certain patches of land over the years and those who built houses have urged the State government to ensure they continue to possess the land. On the other hand, proprietors of Tungabhadra Sugar Works Ltd. are making efforts to take back their land as per court orders.
Tungabhadra Sugar Factory, for which the foundation stone was laid by then Chief Minister, K. Hanumanthaiah, on November 1, 1954, is a private entity initially owned by the Madhavni Group from Gujarat. It started operating in 1958. For nearly three decades, it crushed sugarcane grown in Shivamogga and neighbouring districts, benefiting the growers. The government had allotted nearly 1,000 acres of land on lease to cultivate sugarcane. Besides that, the factory had purchased vast lands in Eraganal, Nidige, Harige, and Malavagoppa. Altogether, the purchased land is over 1,400 acres. At one point, it crushed 3.5 lakh tonnes of sugarcane in a season, according to P. Ravi Kumar, vice president of the Tungabhadra Sugar Works’ Majdoor Sangha.
