Mysuru: Days after officials in the Mysore Development Authority (Muda) announced that it had managed to obtain the consent of most farmers in Ballahalli to develop a new layout in the area, a section of ryots unwilling to part with their farms have warned the civic agency of launching an indefinite protest if it goes ahead with the land acquisition process. The farmers further threatened to prevent entry of politicians to their village if the acquisition process is not stopped immediately. Residents of the village said that they were contemplating boycotting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to protest the ham-handed way in which Muda was going about with the land acquisition process.Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene on Sunday said that they would launch a stir from Tuesday in front of the Muda office if the government did not drop the project. KRRS general secretary Guruprasad charged Muda with trying to forcibly acquire fertile and arable land in and around Ballahalli. “The land that Muda has acquired in Ramana Hundi, Birihundi, Salundi, Gouhalli, Komrabeedu, Badagalahundi, Marakyatanahalli and surrounding areas is very fertile. The land is being acquired by bringing in amendments to the land acquisition law,” Guruprasad said.He said that they would launch the protest rally from the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Mysuru Law Courts complex, and terminate it at the Muda office. “Muda officials are obtaining signatures from innocent farmers of the village by coercion. The farmers are being misled,” Guruprasad added.Fuming at the silence of the elected representatives, Guruprasad said that the farmers had no one to approach with their woes. “This is the reason we have decided to ban entry of the politicians into the village seeking votes for the Lok Sabha election. If they are not willing to listen to us, why should we cast our votes?” he asked.The KRRS general secretary alleged that those who had agreed to part with their land were those who had illegally acquired it by means of encroachment. Local farmer leaders including Honnur Prakash were present at the media interaction.

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