Karnataka declares 1,777 acres near Devanahalli a ‘permanent special agricultural zone’
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has declared 1,777 acres across 13 villages in Channarayapatna hobli of Devanahalli taluk as a 'permanent special agricultural zone', officials said on Tuesday.
Clarifying that the move does not curb landowners’ rights, S Selvakumar, Principal Secretary in the Department of Industries, said farmers continue to have full freedom to sell their land without any restrictions.
He urged farmers not to be misled by "rumours or false narratives", following reports suggesting that land sale rights had been curtailed.
"Farmers in these villages expressed their wish to continue agriculture. The government responded positively and honoured that commitment. Any claim that this decision harms farmers is untrue," Selvakumar said in a statement.
He said the intention behind the notification was to prevent real estate misuse of agricultural land and stop developers from exploiting farmers. "We have not taken away farmers’ freedom or their right to sell land," he added.
Originally, the land near Devanahalli had been earmarked for an aerospace park. However, the government withdrew the acquisition plan after farmers objected, and has now reserved the area exclusively for agriculture.
Farmers willing to sell their land to the government may do so voluntarily and will be compensated based on the Land Price Determination Committee’s assessment. "There is no requirement to sell only to the government," Selvakumar said.
According to a statement, a meeting chaired earlier by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had decided to denotify the land and retain it for agricultural activity.
The new designation as a 'permanent special agricultural zone' extends additional benefits to farmers.
The government has assured that agricultural infrastructure will be strengthened in the region. The lands were already classified under the green zone category.
"The objective is to ensure agricultural growth alongside industrial development. By declaring the area a permanent special agricultural zone, the government hopes to attract greater investment into agriculture," the statement said.
The benefits proposed include access to high-yield seeds, cold storage, organic farming support, modern technologies such as hydroponics, improved soil and water management, direct market access, e-trading platforms, and better price realisation.
Farmers will also be eligible for special tax exemptions for farms and agri-startups, faster approvals for agri-business projects, warehouse development, export opportunities, and expanded local employment, the government said.
Plans are also in place to provide modern agricultural training, set up laboratories and quality-testing facilities, establish food-processing units, facilitate agricultural credit, and support research and partnerships.
Similar special agricultural zones already exist in Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, as well as in other countries, the statement added.
A committee will soon be constituted to study best practices in those regions, to extend comparable benefits to farmers in Karnataka, it said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
