Farmers’ opposition to sell their land for Yettinahole project at the price fixed by the district administration has intensified with the landowners demanding as high as ₹1 crore per acre of coffee estate. The landowners, who met in Sakaleshpur on Monday, have resolved to take out a protest rally to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hassan on Thursday to put pressure on the district administration.
The district administration had earlier fixed ₹21 lakh to ₹39 lakh per acre of coffee plantation, considering the amount at which purchases of land were registered in the last three years. However, the farmers have demanded ₹1 crore per acre of coffee estate and ₹50 lakh per acre of paddy field, irrespective of the village. As of now, the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd. has identified 483 acres of land in 22 villages of the taluk for the project.
The landowners were informed about the price chart individually and they were given time to file objections, if any. Many have filed objections noticing that the price fixed was not sufficient. In some cases, the price meant for coffee estates was lower than what was fixed for dry land. The landowners convened the meeting in Sakaleshpur to plan future strategies on the issue and decided to stage a protest on July 13.
Somesh, a planter, said the landowners had enriched the coffee estates by cultivating hundreds of trees for many decades. “The price fixed for the coffee estate is less, considering the green asset created by the farming community. Moreover, the formula with which the officials arrived at the price chart is wrong. They have considered the recent land registrations, where the buyers and sellers registered their land at low rates to avoid paying high registration charges,” he said.
Hassan District Planters’ Association president K.B. Krishnappa alleged that the administration had assured the landowners of suitable compensation. However, the assurance had not been fulfilled, forcing the planters to stage protests on this issue. “We need at least ₹1 crore for coffee estate and ₹50 lakh for paddy fields. We will take out a protest in Hassan on Thursday to put pressure on the government for higher price,” he added.
