Farmers, who own a land, in the vicinity of Suvarna Vidhan Soudha in Belagavi have decided not to providing their land for protests during the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka legislature, which is scheduled to commence from December 4, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
In a move to protect their standing crops from potential damage, caused by public movement and vehicular traffic, these farmers have collectively decided not to lease their fields to the government, the officials said.
Ahead of the sessions, the government identified approximately 10 acres of agricultural land along the Pune-Bengaluru national highway for protesters. On this land, temporary tents would be fixed for protestors. About 30 different organisations across the state have registered their names with the police to protest for their demands and the police will provide them date and space to protest. The government is offering a rent of ₹3,000 per gunta of land to the owners.
A farmers named Mahaveer Patil from Halaga village has decided not to provide his land to the government and expressed concerns about losing crops. He said the fertile land turned into open toilets and garbage dumping zones during last sessions.
“It took us ten days to clean the field after the last session,” revealed Patil, who has witnessed the adverse impact on his land after each legislative gathering. He cited issues with garbage disposal and improper use of the field for urination, as reasons for his refusal to provide land this year.
{{/usCountry}}“It took us ten days to clean the field after the last session,” revealed Patil, who has witnessed the adverse impact on his land after each legislative gathering. He cited issues with garbage disposal and improper use of the field for urination, as reasons for his refusal to provide land this year.
{{/usCountry}}Ningappa Kademani and his wife Mangala, whose farm was used as a protest zone in previous sessions, echoed similar sentiments. They recounted instances of their field being used for purposes other than intended, even with the presence of designated toilets at various locations.
The Suvarna Vidhan Soudha, situated around 14 kilometers away from Belagavi, traditionally accommodates protesters by installing temporary tents at two identified locations. Belagavi deputy commissioner (DC) Nitesh Patil said that efforts are underway to reduce the number of protesting organisations through discussions, ahead of the session. He also assured that compensation for crop losses in adjoining farms due to public movement would also be considered.
Despite the government’s assurances, some landowners remain skeptical, citing delays in receiving payments. Mahaveer Patil highlighted the inconvenience of waiting for eight months to receive payment after the last session.
Farmers like Mallappa Chougale are calling for expedited compensation processes, emphasizing that those who lose standing crops due to public movement should receive compensation within 2-3 days of returning the land. Appasaheb Desai, president of the Belagavi taluk unit of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha and Hasiru Sene, urged an increase in compensation rates, considering the recent loss of Kharif crops due to insufficient rains and the potential impact on Rabi crops.
As the legislative session approaches, the standoff between farmers and the government over land usage for protests continues, raising concerns about the potential disruption to standing crops and the need for swift compensation measures.