Farmers oppose acquisition of cultivable land for SEZs

Mysore, Apr 2 (UNI) Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) President K S Puttanaiah today strongly criticised the State Government's move to acquire cultivable land in and around Mysore to set up Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Addressing the agitators at K R Circle, where the KRRS and its members from all over the district protested against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, he said the KRRS along with other organisations had been fighting for the cancellation of the notification of land acquisition by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) for SEZs.

Mr Puttanaiah alleged that the KIADB wanted to acquire fertile and irrigated land and hand it over to information technology (IT) giants and multinational companies. The acquisition of about 7,000 acres of irrigated land was tantamount to uprooting thousands of farmers' families, he added.

The KRRS would continue to oppose such acquisitions and not allow the Government to take any steps in this behalf, he said.

Urging the State Government to initiate steps on the Tribunal award, he said that even after more than 50 days had passed since the verdict was pronounced, the Government had not taken any steps to file review petition before the Supreme Court and the Tribunal.

Meanwhile, the agitations in the Cauvery basin areas continued for the 57th day today. In Mandya, the relay hunger strike by the Cauvery Hitarakshna Samithi continued at Silver Jubilee Park.

Dharnas were also held at Maddur, Pandavapura and Srirangapatna.

Hundreds of farmers staged a dharna under the banner of Cauvery Kirya Samithi.

UNI