Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Jan 16: The protest that was being held since January 1 under the leadership of Udupi farmers demanding flow of Varahi project irrigation water in Siddapur was called off on Friday January 16 subject to five conditions.
As the government felt the heat of the protests,four state ministers arrived at the place of the protest on January 16 and succeeded in convincing the farmers to call off the protest.
Minister of water resources and irrigation M B Patil, minister of revenue Srinivas Prasad, minister of forests B Ramanath Rai and district incharge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake arrived here and accepted the five demands with regard to completing the Varahi project during the meeting held at KPC hall in Hosangadi.
The demands were - release of water by April first week this year, detailed inquiry from scratch into the Varahi project, clear the obstacles on issue of deemed forests, compensation to those who lost their lands, and controlled blasting at the site without harming houses in the surroundings.
M B Patil assured that the government will complete the long-pending project and provide water to the farmers. "The government had decided to let water on December 30 but it was not possible due to rain. Water will be released to 3,000 hectares during the first week of April this year. It will be released to 5,600 hectares at the end of this year or April 2016," he said.
Patil assured to clear the present hurdles to the project. "There is a need of a coordination committee in this regard. The committee will be formed under the leadership of the district administration. An investigation will be done regarding the progress since the beginning of the project till now. The government is bound to acquire necessary land in appropriate manner," he said.
"Though the project had started in 1980, it took 20 years to decide how to go about it. I had come here soon after our government came to power and suggested to release water by the end of December. However it was delayed due to rain. The work caught up speed soon after our government came to power. Fifty percent of the work has been completed within one -and-a-half years," Patil said.
"The government is positive about the project and in order to complete the work, 79 projects which were deserted have been transferred to the corporation concerned. It is our collective responsibility to complete the work. We will release water in April this year," he assured.
Minister of forests B Ramanath Rai said that the forest department has vacated 129 hectares of land for the project. "Another 30 hectares have been demanded. As it has to be obtained legally, five months will be required for it. All the other problems from the department
of forests to complete the project have been resolved," he said.
Revenue minister Srinivas Prasad said that necessary land has not been acquired for the project. "About 40% of the land has been acquired and the remaining land will be acquired as per Land Acquisition Act of 2014. Those who have lost their land will be compensated on production of appropriate documents. More personnel have been appointed for the survey work," he said.
District incharge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, MP Oscar Fernandes, former MP Jayaprakash Hedge, MLAs Gopala Poojary, Haladi Srinivas Shetty, MLA Pramod Madhwaraj, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary, taluk panchayat president Bhaskar Billava also spoke on the occasion.
Sahyadri College president Manjunatha Bhandary, Blossom Fernandes, zilla panchayat members, taluk panchayat members, Bharathiya Kisan Sangha’s Bivi Poojary, Secretary Satyanarayana Udupa, leaders of different groups and associations, Udupi zilla farmer’s association zonal presidents, deputy commissioner Dr Vishal, Varahi Irrigation project’s Rudrayya, assistant commissioner Charulatha Somal, tahsildar Gayatri Nayak and others were present.
Raita Sangha president Pratapchandra Shetty placed the demands regarding the
project.
Pressure for detailed investigation: "There have been malpractices in Varahi project. Many people are involved in it. A detailed investigation should be held in this regard," demanded the Raita Sangha leaders.
Fears over the project slowing down due to the investigation was opposed by most of them. The investigation undertaken by the Upa Lokayuktha is in response to a private complaint. The investigation should be conducted by the government, they urged.
S Prakashchandra Shetty said that the work will not stop due to investigation. "Let both investigation and the project proceed simultaneously. There are no instances of project work getting delayed due to investigation in this country. Let the government investigate," he said.
Even as the farmer leaders and people's representatives were demanding investigating, minister M B Patil grew angry and said that the investigation will start from scratch.
"There is no water for the farmers. No law stops a power project from proceeding and completing in time, but when it comes to any pro-farmer project, it proceeds at a snail's pace. The government pays Rs 10 crore every year for the generation of power. How right is it on the part of the government to pay them and not the farmers," asked Raita Sangha president Pratapchandra Shetty.
The minister perturbed by a number of questions, said that he has not bowed to any contractor’s pressure. "The project was not delayed due to me. Everybody is responsible for it. People's representatives and officials have to accept moral responsibility for the delay," he said.
Vikas Hegde said that more money than stipulated is being paid to the contractors. The amount of corruption can be measured by it, he said.
Struggle for Varahi: