BELLARY: Controversy ridden Bellary district is once again in the news, for different reason now, unlike mining subject.
The State Government’s plan to acquire 3,000 acre land for its proposed Airport Project this time, has come in to sharp criticism from across the district. For, the land being surveyed is a fertile black soiled one.
The serenity of Siriwar village has been annihilated by the news of land acquisition. The calm atmosphere experienced after the slump in iron ore market, is no longer persists now.
The issue has gained momentum, and is being discussed at length and breadth, in the backdrop of involvement of mine kings being local MLA and Ministers of the district.
Out of seven taluks in the district only three Bellary, Siruguppa and Hospet have irrigated lands. The village under controversy, the Siriwar village commands nearly 3,000 acres of land out of which nearly 800 acres is hilly area and is unused. The village which has around 10,000 population has to make away with only 12 acres of land. Moreover the village consists of majority of small farmers who hold only two to three acres land of their own. Paddy, chilli, jowar, cotton being the main crops in the region, the village boasts of both black and red type of soil conducive for good crop which is why farmers are opposing the project.
Even the Gram Panchayat has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the land acquisition. Various organisations in the district have come up to stand by the farmers in distress. Even the JD(S) has criticised the the unscientific project. Surveyors of a private company from Bangalore have faced the wrath of the farmers.
Why the state government is keen on establishing the airport on new soil, why not the decades-old airport be revived, reacting to this question Deputy Commissioner B Shivappa said since the old airstrip does not handle the big boeing like planes, the new airport is being planned in the district with advanced infrastructure. The land identified for the project has already been surveyed by Airports Authority of India, which is the sole authority to finalise the place of the project, he said. “Whichever land is selected for the project, handful of compensation is sure to come,” he opined. But more number of people in Bellary are opposing the proposed plan. “Who needs airport, since it is a fascination of a few. Farmers need not lose their fertile lands for the whims and fancies of others,” said an Engineer.
Does the government require only fertile land for the airport project? Does it listen to poor farmers plea?