Latest news with #AIKKMS
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Police brutality against farmers condemned, land acquisition in Devanahalli opposed
Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Centre of Indian trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS) have strongly condemned Wednesday's police brutality against farmers, leaders and activists during a peaceful protest led by the Samyukta Horata Karnataka at Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural district opposing the forcible land acquisition by the State government. The members of CPI(M), CITU and AIKKMS under the banner of Samyukta Horata Karnataka staged a protest and gathered at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk and also outside the Deputy Commissioner's office in the city and raised slogans against the State government for manipulating the laws to acquire land by force without the consent of farmers in Devanahalli taluk. CPI(M) district secretary K. Neela said that the then BJP government in the State had implemented the land reform policy introduced by the BJP-led Central government. However, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government which had opposed the 'anti-farmer policy' and came to power vowing to protect the interest of farmers by repealing it, is now hell-bent on enforcing the same policy, leaving the farming community in distress, she said. For the past 1,180 days, farmers from 13 villages from Devanahalli taluk have been protesting against the State government's attempt to acquire 1,770 acres of agricultural land under the pretext of industrial development. The agitators said that the State government's land acquisition move is a threat to the livelihood of hundreds of farmers who mainly depend on horticulture, vegetable cultivation and dairy farming. Activists M.B. Sajjan and Sharanabasappa Mamshetty said that the State government held three rounds of meetings with farmers and organizations in the name of industrial development just to pacify them before announcing its final decision on Wednesday. They accused the State government of prioritizing industrial interests over those of farmers. Condemning the cowardly act of the police in trying to suppress democratic rights of farmers to fight for their land and livelihood, AIKKMS district president Ganpat Rao Mane criticised the police for taking 52 protestors (leaders and activists) into preventive custody on Wednesday for supporting the agitation. The agitators demanded that the State government stop the land acquisition process and warned that they will intensify their agitation and continue to fight until the acquired land is returned to farmers.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
AIKKMS stages protest in Ballari demanding immediate release of pending NREGA wages
The All-India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS) staged a protest on Tuesday in front of the zilla panchayat office in Ballari, demanding the immediate release of pending wages for labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The demonstration, led by the district unit of AIKKMS, drew hundreds of wage workers who had not received their dues for over two months, despite having completed work under the government employment scheme. A memorandum was submitted to the chief executive officer (CEO) of the ZP, urging the release of payments and seeking intervention from both State and Central authorities. Speaking at the protest, AIKKMS district president Govind noted that in the past, wages were usually disbursed within five to 10 days of work. 'However, this time the situation is entirely different. Many labourers are in dire straits. Even chilli and paddy farmers have faced losses owing to poor market prices. They used to migrate to urban areas in search of livelihood options. But they worked in MGNREGA to earn a livelihood. However, they have not been paid their wages. With no savings to fall back on, the people of this region are on the brink of desperation,' he said. Mr. Govind further highlighted the rising cost of essential commodities which has made survival even more difficult for families awaiting their wages. 'These delays have pushed entire families into financial distress,' he added, urging authorities to act swiftly in releasing the pending payments. District secretary Guralli Raj raised another concern about the possible denial of the full 100 days of guaranteed work under MGNREGA, along with the legally stipulated daily wage of ₹370. 'Work is progressing at a snail's pace in several panchayats. There is a genuine fear that many workers will be deprived of both their rightful number of workdays and the full wage,' he said. He called upon the government to guarantee 100 days of employment for every household as per their entitlements, ensure full payment of ₹370 per day to each worker, and make available all associated benefits under the MGNREGA scheme. The protest saw participation from several union leaders and hundreds of workers from across the district. Officials who received the memorandum promised the protesters that the issue would be taken up prominently in the upcoming meeting with the Chief Minister on the 30th and 31st of this month. They also promised to raise the matter with the Union government and resolve all local-level issues affecting the timely payment of wages.
