Farmers protest over KPTCL power line work at Shikaripur

Farmers of Esur and neighbouring villages in Shikaripur taluk staging a protest in front of the taluk office.

Farmers of Esur, Churchugundi, Korlahalli, and neighbouring villages in Shikaripur taluk are on an indefinite protest in front of the taluk office in the town opposing the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) transmission line that connects Esur and Anjanapura through six other villages. They began the protest on Monday and resolved to continue their agitation unless the Deputy Commissioner of Shivamogga met them and assured them to fulfil their demand.

The KPTCL has taken up construction of a 1×10 Mva, 110/11 Kv Substation at Anjanapura and is connecting that with the Esur substation by a 110 Kv line of 10.4 km distance. The project, with an estimated cost of ₹13.5 crore was taken up in 2021. The construction of the substation with an expenditure of ₹8 crore has been completed. According to the officers, the line work should have been completed by 2023. However, it has been pending, following farmers’ protests. The project is required to improve power supply in villages around Anjanapura and reduce the burden on sub station at Esur.

The farmers are up in arms over the transmission line work that passes through the areca plantations of Esur, Chikka Jogihalli, Churchugundi, and other neighbouring villages. They are of the view that the project will disturb over 280 families, all small areca growers with half an acre, one acre or one-and-a-half acres of land. If transmission towers were set up and high-tension wire was made to pass through their lands, they would lose their areca plants.

During the protest on Monday, Subhash Chandra of Chikka Jogihalli said he would lose a major portion of his one acre and 30 guntas of land. “The extent of land I have is small. After the work, I will be left with a few guntas of land. How can I lead a life with no income? I will be losing whatever I invested in the land to grow areca plants,” he said.

The farmers have come up with an alternative route to lay the power line with minimum disturbance to areca plantations. Esur Santhosh, taluk convener of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, said that there was enough government land, canal land, and forest area. “If the KPTCL takes the line in the alternative route, the expenditure will come down, and the distance will also be reduced substantially. But, we don’t know why the KPTCL officials are planning the route that disturbs plantations of poor farmers,” he said. The protesters argued that the residents of Esur and Churchugundi were being targeted for political reasons.

The farmers have not let the contractor, who bagged the work, take up the work in Esur, Churchugundi, and other villages. “We have stopped the workers from executing the project in our villages. We will continue our agitation until our demands are fulfilled,” said Mr. P.Y. Ravi, taluk president of Raitha Sangha.

MLA for Shikaripur B.Y. Vijayendra met the farmers on Monday and assured them of resolving the issue.

A senior officer of KPTCL, who wished not to be named, said that the work had been taken up as per the guidelines issued by the Central government. “We cannot take up the work in the canal area and the forest area. Only if revenue land is not available can we take up the work in forest land. However, in this case, revenue land is available. Similarly, there are strict guidelines to avoid villages, schools, and such other structures,” he said.

Further, he said the Deputy Commissioner of Shivamogga held several meetings with farmers to fix compensation. “We don’t take the ownership of the land. The farmers will remain owners. However, we only compensate for the loss they suffer. Under the powerline, they can grow other crops, but not plantation crops like areca which grow tall,” he added.