Belgaum farmers oppose land acquisition for Army firing range

Farmers said, the 368 acres sees three crops per annum

Hundreds of farmers from villages around the city today staged a protest opposing the acquisition of agricultural land for the firing range of the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre of the Indian Army.

The protesting farmers said that the 368 acres of land proposed for acquisition from Mandoli, Savagao and Belgaum is fertile where they raise three crops, and the move would affect their livelihoods.

The farmers also submitted a memorandum to the district administration. Earlier, the Army had procured 563 acres in this part and the district administration had started surveying their lands, said Manohar Kinekar, former legislator who along with MLA Sambhaji Patil (both from the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi) and Sanjay Patil (BJP), is spearheading the protest.

The Karnataka government has given land for the firing range to the Army at Ramdurg and Marihal, he said. The memorandum asked the district administration to refrain from procuring their fertile land.