Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV/SP)
Mangaluru, Jan 27: Dakshina Kannada member of parliament, Nalin Kumar Kateel, noted with regret that the issue of Kumki rights has become a death trap for the farmers of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Addressing a press conference held on Wednesday January 27 at the district BJP office here, he came down heavily on Congress government for promising to serve the farmers before coming to power and doing exactly the opposite.
Nalin recollected that in its manifesto, the Congress in 2013 had promised to vest rights on Kumki land with farmers. He said that the state revenue minister, in his recent affidavit in the court, had asserted that farmers do not have any right on Kumki land. Now the court verdict has given power to decide the fate of Kumki land to deputy commissioners of districts, he noted.
"In 2013, the BJP government had issued notification on this issue in favour of farmers. But implementation of the notification was stalled because of political considerations, and therefore, the contents of this notification did not come into force. We trusted in the claim of the Congress government that it would serve interests of farmers, but criticized it for letting down the agriculturists. The very intention of the Congress government is not to give rights on Kumki land to farmers. By taking this stand, the government has done great injustice to farmers," he pointed out.
Nalin asserted that the state government was expected to find a via media to restore Kumki rights to farmers, but blamed it for doing nothing in this direction. "The BJP, with the welfare of farmers high in its agenda, now wants to handle this issue through administrative initiatives, legal recourse, and mass pro-farmer awareness campaigns. In this direction, a mass public awareness campaign is being organized at Puttur on February 6, with the participation of top state level BJP leaders. Congress may accuse us of playing a gimmick to garner support for the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections. But we want to remind the Congress that we need not rely on this issue to seek public support because Siddarmaiah has presented us with a bunch of opportunities by way of series of failures in issues like sand mafia, uncontrolled cow laughter etc. We are taking the issue of Kumki rights in all earnestness because of our concern for the welfare of farmers and not as a measure of stunt," he explained.
Kateel asserted that his party will make all out efforts to make sure that justice is done to farmers by way of handing over to them rights on Kumki land.
On the issue of Yettinahole project, he said that the second phase of agitation would be undertaken from second week of February this year, after meeting people from parched districts including Kolar. He stated that this agitation will continue on regular basis without any break. Nalin said that the regional empowered committee had merely given environmental clearance for the project with conditions like using water from the rivulet for three months during rainy season. He clarified that forest clearance has not yet been given for the project.
District BJP president, Pratapsimha Nayak, MLC, Capt Ganesh Karnik, former MLA, Lalaji Mendon, BJP leader, Sulochana Bhat, and others were present.