The State Cabinet’s approval on Thursday to enhance the compensation to Rs. 35 lakh per acre of land acquired for setting up an industrial area at Vemgal in Kolar taluk has brought the curtains down on the tussle between the farmers and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). The farmers, whose lands had been acquired, were protesting against the proposed compensation of Rs. 29 lakh per acre. They had conducted many agitations, including a Vemgal bandh and roadblock on Wednesday, a day before the Cabinet took a decision in favour of the farmers.
As many as 616 acres of land has been acquired at Kurugal, Harjenahalli, Singehalli and Perjenahalli in Vemgal hobli for the purpose. In contrast to the fervent protests by people against land acquisition in several parts of the State, the Vemgal and Kurugal gram panchayats had unanimously resolved to give 666 acres of land to set up the industrial area. V.R. Sudarshan, former Chairman of the Legislative Council, who was among the prominent leaders in the forefront of the struggle to get more compensation, on Thursday welcomed the decision of the government. While congratulating the State government for “safeguarding the interest of farmers”, Mr. Sudarshan urged the KIADB to hasten the process of distributing relief to the farmers. “The government should accord priority to set up agro-based industries in the region,” he said in a press release. Jobs should be given to one person each from the family of a farmer who loses land, he added. Mr. Sudarshan remembered the cooperation of district in-charge Minister Varthur Prakash in taking up the issue with the government
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Farmers Kurugal Ramesh and Singahalli Muddappa claimed the Cabinet decision as a victory for the relentless struggle of the people of the area.