Hubballi: Farmers burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for their failure to resolve the Mayadayi water dispute, during a Martyrs’ Day tribute to two farmers who were killed on July 21 1980.
Violent protesters burnt the effigies and also stopped politicians from entering the venue with farmers blaming both Centre and state government for their ‘anti-farmer’ policies. They urged the union government to amend the National Water Policy to resolve inter-state water disputes and prevent delays by tribunals set up to adjudicate them.
Farmer leader K.S. Puttannaiah, said, “The agriculture sector is in crisis due to extensive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. To make things worse, the successive droughts have turned 30 per cent of agricultural land barren.”
The protesters also demanded compensation for distressed farmers on the lines of relief given by the pay commission to government employees.