Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav to participate in protest against land acquisition ordinance

inShare

KRRS state president Chamarasa Malipatil addressing a media conference at Reporters' Guild in Raichur on Sunday.

 

Chamarasa Malipatil, State President of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) said that Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav, environment activists Medha Patkar and activist from Pondicherry, Lingaraj will participate in the farmers’ rally against the Union government’s land acquisition ordinance, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on April 28.

He was addressing a joint press conference of various farmers’ organisations and dalit groups here on Sunday.

He said that the farmers’ Padayatra against Union Government’s Land Acquisition Ordinance, which had begun from Naragunda village on April 8, would culminate with a huge agitation in Bengaluru on April 28.

“Over one lakh from different parts of the State are expected to participate in the agitation at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. Activists Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav and Lingaraj would address the farmers,” he said.

PM criticised

Mr. Malipatil alleged that Union Government did not feel fit to talk to the farmers who had arrived from different parts of the country and staged a demonstration outside Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for three days last month against the Land Ordinance.

“Since no representative from Union Government met the farmers, they had to submit a memorandum to the President and return to their home states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who turned down to talk to farmers when the latter were agitating at his door step, is now talking to them through All India Radio,” he ridiculed.

Crop loss compensation:

Mr. Malipatil criticised the State government's decision to pay compensation at Rs. 13,000 a hectare to farmers who suffered crop lose in the recent pre-monsoon downpour. “Farmers have spent minimum Rs. 60,000 for growing paddy on each hectare. The government is insulting farmers by paying compensation at Rs. 13,000 a hectare,” he said.

He demanded the government to pay compensation to affected farmers at Rs. 20,000 an acre for paddy and Rs. 40,000 an acre for chilli.

Compensation Fund:

Mr. Malipatil also demanded for constituting a permanent fund in each state for exclusively paying compensation to people suffered by natural calamities. “A permanent compensation fund with an initial amount of Rs. 25,000 crores, to be equally contributed by Union Government and the concerned State government, should be constituted in each State so that immediate and better compensation could be disbursed to sufferers,” he said.