KPRS stages stir to solve farmers' woes

The activists of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) staged a protest to urge the authorities concerned to solve various problems of farmers in Kodagu district, in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Madikeri on Friday.

Various other organisations including CPI(M), Building Workers’ Association and District Gram Panchayat Employees’ Association supported the protesters.

Addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of the protest, CPI(M) District Secretary Durgaprasad said that they would press the government not to implement the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report.

A committee has to be formed to study the merits and demerits of the report and the next step has to be taken only after collecting opinion of the people.

“A few influential elected representatives are lobbying hard to evict the poor people who are residing in Paisari land. Even as the forest department is legalising the land in which poor people are residing, on the other hand those with vested interests including politicians and businessmen are trying to evict them,” he said.

The protesters also alleged the government of sidelining paddy cultivation.

Commercial crops like ginger and coconut are replacing paddy.

Paddy fields are being converted as sites. This would impact the cultural and social life of Kodagu, they warned.

The protesters also demanded to stop sacrificing agriculture in the name of tourism development.

Their other demands include, effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, surveying Paisari land, take action against those who encroach the property and give the ownership rights of trees to the farmers within their property.

A memorandum was handed over to an official from the district administration.

(Courtesy : Deccan Herald)