Chikkaballapur: Members of a local farmers’ union staged a protest in front of the district collector’s office in Chikkaballapur on August 22, 2024, alleging harassment by forest department officials. The farmers, who have been cultivating land in the area for over three decades, expressed their frustration and warned of intensifying their agitation if the harassment continues.
The protesters accused forest department officials of wrongfully claiming the land they have been farming on for years. They demanded an end to the harassment and called for a resolution to the land dispute.
The farmers also raised several other grievances, including the encroachment of lakes and irrigation channels, the overgrowth of thorny plants and silt in the lakes, soil contamination due to unpurified water from the HN Valley project, encroachment of sacred groves, delays in issuing cultivation certificates under the Bagar Hukum scheme, insufficient supply of fertilisers, lack of access to cemeteries, non-provision of e-Swat (electronic service for citizens) in Gram Panchayats, misuse of NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds, and the need for repairs of all survey numbers in Gudibande taluk.
The farmers urged the district administration to address their concerns promptly and ensure that their rights are protected.