Puttur: Farmers Demand Suspension of Hydel Project, Lay Siege to AC Office

Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Feb 14: Demanding immediate suspension of Sahasralingeshwara hydel power project which is coming up near Uppinangady in the taluk, hundreds of farmers, under the banner of Raita Sangha, laid siege to the office of the assistant commissioner (AC) here on Monday February 13 .

The siege, which lasted for ten and half hours, not only created a record of sorts, but also ensured that the office could not do any work the whole day. The protest was also supported by Jayakarnataka organization, and JD(S).

Raita Sangha had made its intention to lay siege to the office clear in advance. It said it is agitating to protect the interests of farmers from Hirebandady and Nekkilady villages, who will be displaced by the above project. It says that the farmers will not give even an inch of land for the project, and that if the project promoters want land, they should be prepared to pay market price for the land as decided by the land owners. The company has already acquired land from some farmers, and has begun initial work. The agitators demanded that the company should begin works only after getting consent from all the farmers, and wanted full stop to all the ongoing works at the project site instantly.

When the agitators initially approached assistant commissioner, Mudraje Sundar Bhat, with a demand to direct the company to stop work, he expressed his inability, duly pointing out that the company is free to do what it wants to in the land owned by it. This angered the protestors, who claimed that the company has been heaping soil on the farmlands of neighbouring farmers, and that it also has been dumping soil into river Kumaradhara. Branding these acts are oppressive, they demanded immediate halt to works and laid siege to the office by squatting on the floor in front of the office door.  The demonstrators, who repeatedly said they will not lift the siege till the machineries of the company are shifted, cooked their food on the spot and refused to relent.

When representatives of the company, Harish Shetty and Sheshachala, came to the office for a dialogue, the farmers stopped them. The company officials stuck to their stand that they are prepared to stop work, but machineries will not be shifted from the site. Repeated discussions held with the farmers’ representatives by probationary AC, B P Vijay, tahsildar, Dr Dase Gowda, and AC, Sundar Bhat, failed to have any effect on the agitators.

Even in the evening, the farmers refused to let officials and company representatives to go home. In the evening again, the farmers cooked rice on the spot. At around 8.30 pm, protest was stopped on the basis of the assurance by the AC to visit the project site and take suitable action. The protestors warned that they would resume the protest on Wednesday if the AC fails to keep up his word.

Lakshmeesh Gambheer from Raita Sangha, Badila Eshwar Bhat, Roopesh Rai Alimar, Razack Master, Sridhar Shetty Bailuguttu etc led the protestors.