-The Deccan Herald
The State Congress is all set to toe the line taken by its national leader Rahul Gandhi against ”forceful farm land acquisition” by extending its support to the agitation against the proposed Posco steel plant at Halligudi village in Gadag district.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi recently held a march in Uttar Pradesh lending his support to the farmers protesting against land acquisition there. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Saturday said it would take part in the July 15 Gadag bundh call given by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Madhusudan Mistry and KPCC president G Parameshwara told reporters that the party was with the Gadag farmers and that the local Congress leaders had already expressed their solidarity with the land owners.
Parameshwara said the Congress was against forceful acquisition of farm land by governments. He said the Halligudi farmers were staging protests fearing that the government was not ready to give them a fair price for their land. “Apart from apprehending that their land will be forcefully taken away, the farmers have said the government has fixed rates far below the amount paid to those elsewhere. They feel that they will be cheated. Only 30 to 40 farmers have agreed to sell their land, after setting some conditions. The government is, however, using pressure tactics and threatening the farmers to part with their lands,” he said.
Parameshwara said the land for the proposed Posco plant was fertile and cultivable, and that government should back off from the project. Senior leader H K Patil had been delegated to spearhead the agitation in the district. Parameshwara said his party would give details of its strategy only after Chief Minister’s visit to Gadag.