Dharwad : Farmers from Hosaval, Veerapur, Ramapur, Heggeri and neighbouring villages in Dharwad taluk have been staging a relay protest for the past five days, vowing not to surrender their fertile farmland for the proposed Dharwad–Belagavi Industrial Corridor under the Suvarna Karnataka Industrial Corridor Project.
The state govt has issued a notification proposing the acquisition of nearly 6,000 acres between Dharwad and Belagavi for industrial development. However, the agitation has intensified after farmers discovered that nearly 270 acres cultivated by their families for generations had been classified as ‘B Kharab’ in their title deeds, effectively treating it as govt-owned uncultivable land.
“If the govt insists on acquiring the land, it should pay the prevailing market rate and first restore the names of the original landowners by removing the B Kharab classification,” said farmer Veerayya Chikmath. The twin setback has left hundreds of small farmers fearing the loss of both their livelihood and legal ownership. The protesters have made it clear that they will continue their agitation until the acquisition proposal is withdrawn and the disputed land records are corrected.