Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jan 12: Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPC), a state government-owned concern, acted in haste at the last minute to save itself from the embarrassment of having its movable assets auctioned by court authorities on Wednesday January 11, by handing over a cheque towards compensation to a farmer, who had lost his land for the Kali-Kodasalli hydro power project.

The payment of Rs 92.88 lac was made by the corporation through a cheque, as soon as Shivaram Gaonkar, who holds a decree from court in his favour, arrived at Shakti Bhavan, headquarters of KPC on Wednesday to execute the decree. While top officials of KPC remained behind the scenes, legal advisors of the company handed over the cheque to Shivaram.

In 1997, KPC had acquired 5,000 acres of land in Joida taluk of Uttara Kannada district for the above project. It spent only Rs 84 crore towards resettlement of affected families, besides paying paltry compensation towards land so acquired.

After Shivaram, one of the affected farmers, approached Sirsi civil court, the court ordered KPC to pay Rs 28 lac as compensation for losing five acres of areca nut plantation. The corporation appealed against the decision in High Court, where the court enhanced the compensation payable to Rs 93 lac from Rs 28 lac. The appeal preferred by KPC in Supreme Court also was dismissed.  Shivaram thereafter filed execution petition in Sirsi court, which ordered attachment and sale of chairs, tables, computers, cars, jeeps etc in Shakti Bhavan, headquarters of KPC, towards recovery of decreed amount.

The attachment was to be effected on Wednesday. KPC was expected to suffer loss of face, but it somehow managed to avoid witnessing attachment of its movable assets. Shivaram, who expressed happiness towards victory for his 15-year-long struggle against KPC, felt that no farmer should face this suffering, and that all 300 families whose land was acquired by KPC should get compensation at the same rate.