BELLARY: Honnuramma, a native of Sultanpura, used to live a happy life on a three-and-half acre plot of land.

Until the year 2006, when her life started falling apart around her.

Sultanpura, also known as Musinayakanahalli, is located in Sandur taluk in Ballari district.

Honnuramma lost her land as it was acquired for the JSW steel plant. A happy farming family once, since 2006, life has gone downhill for her, forcing the family to work as daily wage labourers.

“My husband died in 2008 and there was one job award for giving up our land for the factory,” she alleged.

“My relatives cheated us and took away the job. Now we are reduced to working as coolies. I cannot work anymore so my sons, daughters and daughters-in-law work,” she says, while cradling her grandchild outside her house beneath a temple tree.

Fifty years ago, at Thoranagallu, Kodal Mallanagouda’s family once owned 115 acres of land and were proud landlords.

“After the acquisition, we were left with a six-acre patch. There is no cultivation here now. There should have been more jobs as an award as the promise was one job for the acquisition of one survey number,” he says.

A similar story is narrated by Kattiganal Sharanappa, a former Zilla Panchayat Member who recollects how his land in Thoranagallu, spread out over three survey numbers, was acquired. The family is still waiting for the award and the alleged promise of jobs.

“Our property was divided between my father and my uncles Dodappa, Kalappa and Chandrashekar, but the award has been a far cry. Though they gave me a contract to supply some product, I gave it up because of their behaviour towards the locals,” he says.

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There exists today a lot of anger against JSW’s expansion program among farmers in the area. Hundreds of land losers nurse similar grouses against the company for not providing them with jobs they allege were promised to them, making their lives miserable.

For its plant, JSW acquired lands at Thoranagallu, Sultanpura and Kurekuppe, Vaddu, Anthapura, Chikkanathapura and Kodal villages. However, the highest land losers are from the three villages of Sultanpura, Thoranagallu and Kurekuppe.

According to locals, the farmers were not prevented from cultivating their lands until 2006. At Thoranagallu, the farmers' lands were supplied water through 14 borewells even after acquisition along with free electricity supply.

The land losers said that their parents and grandparents who gave the land did so without any protest as the land was acquired for the Vijayanagara Steel plant. They believed that Industry will bring in more employment opportunity.

It is perhaps no surprise then that these villagers are firmly against the government decision to transfer ownership of 3,666 acres of land to the company and cite many reasons for why this deal must be scrapped.

The acquisition

Initially acquired for the Vijayanagar Steel Plant, the land was marked for a public sector unit as the then government headed by Indira Gandhi planned to set up three steel plants in South India. Vishakhapatnam Steels, Salem Steels and Vijayanagar Steel.

The project in Vijayanagar, however, remained only on paper once the acquisition was completed.

“For every acre of dryland acquired, the farmers were given a sum of Rs 800 as compensation. For the irrigated land, the compensation was Rs 1200. It was on October 15, 1971. I remember the date of acquisition better than my birthday. Everyone does,” said Kodal Mallanagouda.

With the government deciding to handover the acquired land to a private firm, JSW stepped in during the 90s and started a plant spread out over 3600 acres with a capacity of 1.8 million tons of steel production every year in 1999.

It kept on expanding and soon enhanced its capacity to 3 million tons in 2001, then seven million tons in 2008 and it reached 13 million tons in 2010. Today its capacity stands at 16 million tons, which it achieved it in the year 2014.

The firm was allocated 10,600 acres of land, handed over in a  phased manner. The 3,666 acres of land which the state government decided to handover after the lease period was over is part of these 10,600 acres.

The land is already in the company’s custody in these villages and JSW has already constructed structures and fenced it. The firm has said that there is no illegality in the acquisition and it has been done as per the lease agreement.

The agitation

The announcement of the sale has led to protests and agitations heating up across the state. However, closer home to Ballari, protests seem sporadic and scattered.

Local Congress leaders Anil Lad and Anand Singh have started mobilising villagers but their effort seems to more against their own party colleagues, Medical Education Minister Tukaram and MLC K C Kondaiah as the duo are supporting the deal.

The agitation by Kannada activists is limited to jobs and justice to people and is more of a symbolic protest as it was just for one day.

There is the talk of kickbacks given by the firm to ministers and officials. Amidst all these, the land losers prefer to be tight-lipped. They are not optimistic about any solution to the issue in the near future, for reasons they refuse to discuss.

Where is development?

Initially planned as a public sector Company, plans for a steel plant have been   In the pipeline since 1964.  The economic liberalisation of the 90s provided the impetus for the entry of a private player.

1964

The Vijayanagar Steel Plant was part of the third Five-Year Plan and aimed to provide employment to 60,000 people. Rs 880 crore was pledged.

1967

The Congress lost power in 11 states including Tamil Nadu. At DMK’s insistence, the proposal was divided and shifted to Salem and Vishakapatnam.

1971

After a series of agitations, land acquisition for the Vijayanagar Steel Plant began. Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone and acquisition was completed in 1972.

1972

Land losers were given D800 per acre for dry land and   D 1200 for irrigated land.

1994

The project remained on paper until Jindal entered post-economic reforms. The government granted 3,500 acres of land to JSW.

1995

JSW began site work.

1999

The first plant began in 1999 and JSW employed Oxygen gas to melt the ore. A captive power generator was set up and put out 275 MW of power.

2006

JSW enters into a lease-cum-sale agreement with GoK to get their promised land of 10,600 acres. The government paid an ex gratia of D 15,000 per acre of land acquired for JSW.  

2019

Government has remained firm on selling the land to JSW.