Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation M.B. Patil has asserted that the government will not acquire even an inch of additional land than required from the farmers for irrigation projects in the State.
Interacting with the farmers in Bijapur on Monday, he assured them that the maximum compensation would be given to farmers who lose land to irrigation projects.
“I assure you (the farmers) that I will not let any additional land be acquired for irrigation projects than required. The farmers need not to have any apprehensions,” he said.
Mr. Patil said the government aimed providing more facilities to the people who lose land than to those who benefit from the projects. The government intended to provide basic amenities along with the highest amount of compensation to those who lose their land to these projects. In order to meet this objective, the government, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has constituted a high-level committee for land acquisition and fixing prices of the land.
The government was ready to set aside Rs. 1,000 crore more than required for the projects in order to give adequate compensation to the farmers, the Minister said.
He said high-end foreign technology will be used to implement irrigation projects under the Upper Krishna Project (UKP).
Meanwhile, several farmers of Masuti village of Basavanabagewadi taluk urged Mr. Patil to provide compensation to the crop they would lose to the lift irrigation project.
The Minister directed the Chief Engineer of Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam Limited (KBJLN) to convene a meeting with the famers to heed their grievances. The official said the meeting will be held on August 7 at the KBJNL office.
