JOIN USSakleshpur (Hassan dist): Hassan District Planters’ Association president K B Krishna said, the association was against the officials entering the estates of farmers, illegally, claiming that they were conducting a survey for the much-opposed Yettinahole project.
He was speaking during the meeting of the Kasba hobli-level planters at Kudurangi Veerabhadraswamy temple, in Sullakki village, near here, on Tuesday. Pointing out that the government officials were trespassing the estates of the farmers at Kadamane, Hebbasale and neighbouring villages for the survey, he said, the officials had not exercised restraint, even though Police complaints had been filed in this regard. “Politicians are obstinate about implementing the Yettinahole project due to their greed for the enormous funds involved. They are not bothered about the project’s adverse effects on the people in the region,” he said.
“If a farmer has cultivated crops on even one gunta of government land, he is evicted mercilessly. Now, the government is harassing farmers by trespassing their private properties and are damaging the crops. Both ways, the farmers are at the receiving end. The government should safeguard the interest of the farmers. If the officials do not mend their ways, protests will be organised in a big way,” he warned.
He said that if a farmer has cultivated some crop on a land, it was not encroachment, but, farming.
“But, the government is acting mercilessly against farmers. However, no action is taken against those who have encroached the government’s commercial lands and also lakes and ponds in cities like Bengaluru. Let the government first act against the land mafia in cities, said Association general secretary U M Thirthamallesh.