Confusion prevails over land acquisition

GADAG: Farmers of Halligudi village, who are ready to give up their land for Posco, have met Siddhalinga Swamiji of Tontadarya mutt at Gadag on Friday and appealed to him to give consent for land acquisition in the district.After meeting Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in Bangalore on Thursday, some farmers who are ready to give up their land have met the seer to convince him.But the meeting did not go in favour of the farmers of the region.Siddhalinga Swamiji made it clear that most of the farmers and the seers of the region, have opposed the acquisition of fertile land. Owing to the agitation the government has withdrawn it's order.Ishwar Karmudi and Somanna Channalli who led the farmers said, we expressed our willingness before the chief minister to give up our land.But the chief minister told us to get the consent of the seer to set up the steel plant in Gadag, so, we met the seer to convince him.Agitation threatenedFarmers who met the seer on Friday have threatened the seer that if he does not change his decision on the acquisition, they would start an agitation in front of the mutt from Monday.Siddhalinga Swamiji of Tontadarya mutt received an official order issued by the chief minister claiming that farmers' land will not be acquired for the `36,000 crore Posco steel plant in Gadag district and that the process of land acquisition should be stopped at the earliest by the government.Gadag Additional Deputy Commissioner P T Rudregowda handed over the order issued by the state government to the seer at the Tontadarya mutt in Gadag on Friday.