Farmers defer plan to enter AP

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, MAY 12. Farmers in Sira taluk of Tumkur District have deferred their plan to enter Andhra Pradesh and fill up the Sidigappana Katte feeder canal. They have decided to stage a demonstration on Tuesday at Sira town as part of their agitation in protest against the canal project.

The Government has been accused of having ``persuaded'' the farmers to postpone their plan to enter Andhra Pradesh on Saturday and ``refill' the canal. Mr. T.B. Jayachandra, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Tumkur District, directed the Sub-Divisional Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Siddaiah, and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Krishnam Raju, to meet the farmers' leaders at Honnagondanahalli and persuade them to put off the plan.

The two officers told farmers' leaders that it would be illegal to enter Andhra Pradesh and such a plan would lead to untoward incidents. Mr. Raju said various steps taken by the Government in the matter were explained to farmers.

Minister's appeal: In an appeal to the farmers to drop the move to refill the canal, Mr. Jayachandra said that it would be difficult to prevent anti-social elements from vitiating mass demonstrations. He pointed out that in October 1988, six farmers were killed in an agitation.

However, there was widespread criticism of the Government's efforts to ``put down'' the farmers' agitation. It was alleged that the Government made references to the incident in 1988 to ``scare'' the farmers and prevent them from going ahead with their plan. The Government was accused of having been ``tactfully blackmailing'' the farmers and their leaders.

It was alleged that the State police had virtually sealed the border at Honnagondanahalli. However, Mr. Raju, when contacted, denied this, and said that only a sub-inspector a few policemen had been posted following a statement by Mr. Badeeranna, President, of the taluk unit of the Congress, that he would lead a group of farmers into Andhra Pradesh. However, he said: ``There is no bar on any individual entering Andhra Pradesh and seeing the canal work in progress. Care has been taken to ensure that no tension is caused.''

All-party meet: Changing his stand, Mr. Badeeranna said he would prefer to await the outcome of the all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, in Bangalore on May 17. He and many other leaders distributed handbills in which it was said that a procession would be taken out at Sira on Tuesday and a dharna staged in front of the Tahsildar's office.

There was an argument between Mr. Jayachandra and Mr. S. Shivanna, MLA from Tumkur and President of the district unit of the BJP, who accused each other of playing politics on the sensitive issue. Mr. Jayachandra said the BJP-led coalition at the Centre was tolerating the actions of the Andhra Pradesh Government which were in violation of the Bachawat Award.

He said: ``The Union Government is duty-bound to resolve all issues of inter-State relations. It is 10 days after Karnataka requested the intervention of the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for Irrigation, to advise the Andhra Pradesh Government to stop the work. There has been no response from the Centre. The letters have not been acknowledged. The Prime Minister has ignored the interests of Karnataka.''

Mr. Jayachandra said that the State Government would take action after the all-party meeting, and that it was seeking legal opinion on the matter.

Accusing the State Government of inaction, Mr. Shivanna said the canal work had been going on for a month.

Much to Mr. Jayachandra's embarrassment, two Congress MLAs -- Mr. Venkataravanappa (Pavagada) and Mr. R. Narayan (Bellavi) -- urged the Government stop the flow of water from Koratagere and Madhugiri taluks to Andhra Pradesh, as a retaliatory measure.

Mr. Jayachandra said it was not easy to stop the canal work. ``We are left with the only alternative of legal recourse to restore our rights,'' he added.

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Section  : Southern States
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