Laxmi Hebbalkar lock horns with Jarkiholi over STP

Team Udayavani, Jun 5, 2019, 1:18 PM IST

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Hubballi: After rebel Congress MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Congress leader Laxmi Hebbalkar has now locked horns with his brother and minister, Satish Jarkiholi over the establishment of a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Halaga village.

A sewage treatment plant, which the government has decided to establish at Halaga, a part the Belagavi rural constituency Laxmi Hebbalkar represents in the state assembly has become the bone of contention between Hebbalkar and Satish Jarkiholi. The Belagavi City Municipal Corporation has planned to set up the STP on 17 acres of farmland in Halaga village, but Laxmi Hebbalkar has said she will not allow the plant to come up till a higher compensation was paid to all farmers whose land was acquired for it.

Speaking on the issue, Laxmi Hebbalkar “On the pretext of setting up a treatment plant at Halaga, the government has conspired to grab fertile land of farmers.”

Meanwhile, Satish Jarkiholi said the government will not go back on setting up of the plant at Halaga under any circumstances as it was decided two years ago. He, however, Jarkiholi promised to provide compensation of Rs 30 lakh per acre instead of the Rs 3 lakh given already.

” Laxmi Hebbalkar is a part of the government, she should be pacifying the farmers instead of joining hands with them,” added Satish Jarkiholi.

However, the meeting convened by minister Satish Jarkiholi to find a solution to the dispute ended in a confrontation between the politicians and farmers, who threatened to commit suicide if their fertile land was acquired.