Leaders of the UKP-affected Farmers Association addressing a press meet in Bagalkot on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Leaders of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP)-affected Farmers Association have demanded that the State government start work on the third phase of the irrigation project immediately.
Leader Adrushyappa Desai said that the State government should either take it up immediately or announce that it has abandoned it altogether.
He told reporters in Bagalkot on Wednesday that the protest will continue.
He also said that the land acquisition compensation fixed by the government for the third phase is too low compared to the market rates.
He said that in comparison, the original amounts fixed in the 1990s were in tune with the market rates then.
The former Minister S.R. Patil said that Janata Dal(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda has spoken about diverting Krishna waters to South Karnataka.
“This is condemnable. That this statement has been made in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows that they are serious about this. People of North Karnataka will not let this happen,” Mr. Patil said.
Committee honorary chairman and DCC Bank Chairman Ajaykumar Sarnaik said that if the Almatti dam were to impound 130 tmcft of water, farmers in seven districts of North Karnataka will benefit immensely.
“We need to fight for it unitedly,” he said. In 1997, the compensation fixed was between ₹98,000 per acre and ₹1.48 lakh per acre. But now, the government has fixed it between ₹20 lakh and ₹24 lakh, while the market rates are ranging between ₹35 lakh and ₹40 lakh per acre, he said.
Published – December 05, 2024 09:10 pm IST