Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Oct 25: The agricultural study tour, which is proposed by the government for the benefit of rural farmers, was misused by the Hattiyangadi gram panchayat members and the relatives of the personnel of gram panchayat. They were caught red-handed by the villagers on the night of Thursday, October 24. Their bus, which was ready to go for the tour was stopped by the villagers, who protested against the gram panchayat also in front of the Hattiyangadi gram panchayat office.

A study tour of Mysuru and Bengaluru was organized with the cooperation of zilla panchayat Udupi, agricultural department Kundapur and Watershed management committee Hattiyangadi for the farmers and members of self-help groups under the Krishi Sinchaya project of the prime minister. It is said that the farmers were not given any information of this tour, though the complete expenses of this tour are borne by the government. On the night of Thursday, a contract carriage bus was parked in front of the Hattiyangadi panchayat office. When the suspicious villagers inquired, they came to know about this issue.

The villagers staged a lightning protest on the spot and did not allow the bus to move. They accused the members of the gram panchayat and personnel of misusing the scheme that was meant for the benefit of farmers. The members, who were seated in the bus got down from the bus and started walking ahead asking the driver of the bus to come a little further. But the villagers did not allow the bus to move.

Speaking on the occasion, agriculturist Santhosh Shetty said, "The tour of members of the panchayat with the people who are not connected with the gram panchayat and without informing the agriculturists is like misusing government funds. If they are going on study tour, they have to take the agriculturists of the village. This is going on since the past four years."

Giving clarification over phone, watershed management committee officer Raghuram Shetty said, "This tour is organized as per the itinerary fixed by the panchayat. Similar tour is undertaken by the gram panchayats of Hakladi and Karkunje also. If the bus is stopped, the villagers will be in trouble."

Hattiyangadi gram panchayat president Rajiv Shetty said that there is no connection between the tour and gram panchayat. The protesters were enraged by this statement and said that without the arrival of the concerned, they will not allow the bus to move. Kandulu police, who got the information of the issue, arrived on the spot and tried to pacify the villagers. But the protesters insisted that gram panchayat president should come to the spot.

Kundapur sub-inspector, who arrived at the spot, instructed the bus driver to go away and instructed the agriculture department officials to cancel the tour. Then the villagers took back their protest. More than 50 villagers including Muttha Poojary and Manjunath G Guddiyangadi were in the group that held protest against the officials.