Intro
Farmers were detained in Ballari after protesting against land transfer allotted earlier for Mittal Company project.
Ballari
In Kudatini of Ballari district, tension prevailed on Saturday after police detained displaced farmers who were protesting against the proposed transfer of land earlier acquired for the Mittal Steel project.
Farmers from Kudatini, Toranagallu, and nearby villages had gathered since morning, announcing plans to symbolically enter the land allotted to the company using bullock carts. However, police stopped them on the bypass road, leading to a heated exchange between the protesters and authorities.
As the situation escalated, police detained more than 100 farmers, including protest leaders, and shifted them to a school ground in Toranagallu. A few protesters continued their sit-in near the site, raising slogans against the government and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
The land in question was acquired nearly a decade ago through KIADB for the proposed steel plant by Lakshmi Mittal’s company. However, the project did not progress as planned. Farmers allege that despite the project’s failure, authorities are now attempting to transfer or reallocate the land at higher prices.
The aggrieved farmers demanded either the return of their land or compensation based on current market value. They argued that land taken at low rates should not be allotted to companies for profit without considering the original landowners’ rights and welfare.
Protest leaders accused the government and KIADB of ignoring farmers’ concerns and acting in favour of large industrial interests. They said such decisions were unjust and undermined the livelihoods of displaced families.
Heavy police deployment was made in and around Kudatini and Toranagallu to prevent unrest. Barricades were placed on key routes leading to the disputed land, and movement was restricted as a precautionary measure.
Despite the tensions, officials managed to bring the situation under control without any reported violence. Traffic movement in the area was briefly affected but later restored after police intervention.