The alleged mischief played by the Belagavi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) upon the Belgaum Shetkari Sanghatana was exposed, rather in an embarrassing way when the Sanghatana members staged a protest in front of the office of BCCI and Belagavi District Small Industries Association at Udyambag here on Friday.
During the recent visit of the Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Nirmala Sitharaman to the city last week, the BCCI had submitted a memorandum pleading for relaxation of norms for land acquisition (inferred as agricultural lands by the farmers) for expansion of industries, which was stoutly opposed by the Sanghatana. The Sanghatana also announced to stage a protest in front of BCCI.
However, the BCCI issued a press release claiming that the differences on the issue had been resolved with the Sanghatana leaders and that the latter had withdrawn their proposed protest.
Shocked with the alleged mischief by the BCCI, the Sanghatana leaders supported by Bharatiya Krishik Samaj (Samyukt), Brashtachar Nirmulana Sanghatana and other social workers, staged a dharna in front of BCCI and BDSSIA conveying the message that the BCCI’s demand for relaxation of rules in land acquisition was essentially anti-farmer, Sanghatana president Narayan Savant said.
Also, the association of part presidents of BCCI, through a press release announced that it did not subscribe to the BCCI’s anti-farmer demand.
