Farmers protest, refuse to give land

AGADI(HAVERI): Hundreds of farmers staged a protest here on Sunday opposing        the land acquisition for the proposed integrated steel plant by the Tata Metaliks Limited. Farmers of Agadi, Boodagatti and Machapur villages, who took part in the protest, reiterated that they will not part with their fertile land for the factory at any cost.   Former minister Basavaraj Shivannavar said that farmers’ families will lose livelihood if they give up their land.Former zilla panchayat president Kotreshappa Baseganni, who is also a farmer of the area, declared that Agadi farmers will launch phased agitation if the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) issues second notice to them. “The 2,500 acres in Agadi, Boodagatti and Machapur villages identified for the steel factory is fertile lands. Farmers are getting good yield. We are not ready to lose it,” he said. Lakshmma Tirakappa Devasur, a 65-year old farmer, who showed a sickle (Kudagolu) warning the state government of more such agitations, seemed like personifying the uncompromising resolve of the agitators.  PLD Bank director Kariyappa Huchannavar recalled that farmers have submitted letters refusing to give land for the factory to the KIADB last year. “Even though the Tata Metaliks is assuring good price for the land and one job to each of the family, we do not want the steel factory to come up here,” the director said.  Farmer Nijalingappa Baseganni rejected the district administration’s claim that joint survey of the  identified land at Agadi has been done.