Ballari: Anti-Corruption Activist S R Hiremath has decided to go for padayatra towards Ballari district from Vaddu village of Sandur town, protesting against the state government’s decision of selling 3,667 acres of land to Jindal Company.
Addressing the media, here on Wednesday, August 7, he said, “The march towards the district will be flagged off on August 8 from the Halladaraya Temple of Vaddu village at 9 AM and will end at Sudha Cirlce of the district on August 9, where all those who marched will be welcomed. Later, in the noon a memorandum will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner.”
“The protest in the form of marching towards the district will be ended on a historic day of August 9, which is also the “Quit India Movement Day” celebrated across the country”, he added.
He said that 3,667 acres of land which includes villages like Kurekuppa, Musinayakanahalli, Toranagallu, and Sulthanpura which was about to be sold to Jindal Company would be requested to be stopped immediately and increase the contract period.
“We will demand for a probe into the matter in Supreme Court of India on lands allotted to Jindal till date. We want a probe by an independent committee comprising of retired judges. We would also want to know how many local persons who had given their land away to the company had received jobs. Mining within 2 km vicinity of Kumaraswamy-Parvathy Temple should be banned. Hazardous industries here should be closed and illegal usage of water from Tungabadhra and Almatti dams should be restricted”, said Hiremath.
He said that several pro-farmer organizations and pro-conservation organizations would be standing in support of the protest. Meanwhile, Hiremath has opined that the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party government which had staged a protest against the Jindal Company when not in power, should now atleast respond positively to the demands of the protestors.
