Taking exception to the delay in re-issuing notification declaring Kappatagudda in Gadag district as a conservation reserve, various organisations, led by social activist S.R. Hiremath, have decided to hold a three-day day-and-night dharna in Gadag from February 13 in support of their demand.
Addressing presspersons, along with Mr. Hiremath, conveners of Kappatagudda Ulisi Horata Samiti, Ravikanth Angadi, Chandru Chauhan, Ningappa Pujar and others said that the Chief Minister’s reluctance to take a decision on the issue had made them wonder whether Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who, as Opposition leader, had led a padayatra against illegal mining, had yielded to pressure from the mining lobby now.
Mr. Ravikanth and Mr. Chandru said that the Congress government had withdrawn an earlier notification bestowing conservation reserve tag on Kappatagudda based on a technical reason that there was “no public consultation” and on letters written by self-proclaimed leaders on the letterhead of a few organisations in Gadag.
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Referring to the continued fight of Lambani people from Jallikeri and Attikatti villages of Gadag, Mr. Chandru said that while hundreds of letters had been written to the government on the plight of Lambani people whose land had been snatched away for mining, Forest Minister B. Ramanath Rai chose not to respond. However, on seeing a few letters written on the letterhead of Dalit organisations purportedly in favour of a mining company, the Minister suddenly finds it necessary to bring it to the Cabinet and subsequently, the government decides to withdraw the notification on Kappatagudda, Mr Chauhan said.
After several organisations, led by Sri Siddalinga Swami of Tontadarya Mutt, exerted pressure on the government, a public hearing was held at Dambal on January 16 where a majority of the stakeholders opposed the withdrawal of the notification and demanded conservation reserve tag for the hill range.
“Subsequently, the Deputy Commissioner of Gadag has compiled the outcome of the public hearing and sent it to the State Wildlife Board, headed by the Chief Minister himself. But a decision is yet to be taken,” Mr. Chauhan said. Mr. Ningappa Pujar said that to protest against the delay in a decision, scores of people from the Kappatagudda region, led by Mr. Hiremath, Ravikrishna Reddy and others, would take part in the day-and-night dharna in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Gadag from February 13.
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Mr. Hiremath said that the agitation was to remind the Congress government of its commitment to saving Kappatagudda.