Varahi impasse : Farmers call off stir after 4 ministers concede to demands

Mangalore Today News Network

Kundapur, Jan 17, 2015 :  The farmers who were protesting in front of the Varahi office since January 1 under the aegis of the Raitha Sangha  to pressurise the authorities to release  water from the project for irrigation purposes,  have called off their protest on January 16, Friday following the assurance given by  four state ministers to fulfil their demands.

 

 DK District in-charge Minister B Ramanatha Rai, Udupi in-charge Minister  Vinay Kumar Sorake, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister MB Patil and Revenue Minister Srinivas Prasad met the protestors and   agreed to fulfill five of the demands at a meeting held at the KPC Hall  at Hosangadi.

The main demands have been to release water from the project by April first week,  a thorough investigation into the alleged Varahi project irregularities,  provision of compensation to those who had to sacrifice their lands for the project, clear all hurdles in the issue of deemed forest and to ensure that houses were not damaged during use of explosives at Varahi project site.

Irrigation minister told the farmers that the government decision to release water on December 30 could not be  implemented due to  rain. He assured release of water to 3000 hectares of land in first week of April.

DK District Minister Ramanatha Rai who is also the minister for Forests assured to settle  the deemed forest land issue.

Former minister and Rajya Sabha Member Oscar Fernandes, former MP Jayaprakash Hegde, Pramod Madhwaraj, Gopal Poojari, Haladi Srinivas Shetty, Legislators, Srinivas Poojari, MLC and others were present.

Pratapchandra Shetty, MLC and Raitha Sangha leader who was leading the investigation, placed forth the demands of the farmers before the ministers.