Posco faces hurdles in Karnataka too

The farmers in Halligudi of Mundargi taluk in Gadag district are firm on their stand to not part with their land to make way for the Posco steel plant.

They have taken serious exception to industries minister Murugesh Nirani’s claim that farmers had volunteered to hand over land to KIADB in lieu of the compensation amount and employment,

President of Mundaragi Taluk Abhivruddhi Horata Vedike Y R Goudar said no farmer in the region had ever agreed to the land acquisition in exchange for job and compensation as claimed by Nirani.

“Nobody from the government has contacted farmers to discuss the issue as on the date. Whatever Murugesh Nirani said is a blatant lie. We oppose land acquisition and we are firm on our stand. Any effort to acquire the lands using force will be opposed tooth and nail,” he said.

Goudar said, the lands proposed for acquisition were among the most fertile in the region. The 6,000-plus acres is the only stretch where three crops - jowar, cotton and wheat are cultivated simultaneously.

These lands fall under the catchment area of the Singatalur Lift Irrigation Project that is nearing completion. Land acquisition for industrial purpose would defeat the very objective of this irrigation project. Moreover, the land acquisition would displace over 250 farmers’ families.

The proposed steel and gas power plant in Mevundi would be hazardous to the environment. The people in this region solely depend on the tanks for drinking water purpose and these water bodies would be polluted if industrial units are set up here.

Moreover, these units would come up in the distance of barely 13 kms from Kappatagudda, that has been declared the hub of medicinal plants and the rich vegetation here would be harmed, he said.