Will Greater Bengaluru's Integrated Township Land Be Denotified?

Ramanagara (Karnataka), Sep 5 (NationPress) - The Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and President of the State Congress, D.K. Shivakumar, has criticized Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for his involvement in the establishment of the Bidadi township on Bengaluru's outskirts. Shivakumar asserted that he will not denotify the land nor face imprisonment like former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

“I am committed to assisting farmers within the legal framework,” Shivakumar stated on Thursday while addressing protesting farmers outside the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner's office, who are against the land acquisition.

“During the formation of the Bidadi industrial area, farmers were aware of the ruling government. At that time, 16,000 acres were acquired, bringing companies like Toyota to this area. I too lost 12 acres of my land due to the industrial area’s establishment, and the compensation then was less than Rs 8 lakh,” he noted.

“To ensure better compensation for you, farmers, we are discussing the raising of nearly Rs 10,000 crore in loans. We have no intention of acquiring your one acre of land. However, I cannot release land that has been legally acquired,” Shivakumar emphasized.

“Union Minister Kumaraswamy’s wife and son, along with around 70% of the farmers, have accepted the acquisition and applied for compensation. Only about 30% have refused. Nevertheless, I will explore what decisions can be made to benefit you and what assistance can be provided,” he added.

“I cannot make a special decision solely for the Bidadi area,” he further stated.

“Out of 9,600 acres, approximately 912 acres were designated for industries, with compensation set at Rs 1 crore or higher per acre. There was no opposition during that time. Why is there resistance now?” he questioned.

“We are also advancing with the Krishna Upper Bank Project and Mekedatu Project acquisitions. The Supreme Court mandates that compensation must align with the notification date, yet for land acquired for the Peripheral Ring Road north of NICE Road, compensation has been determined beyond court orders, with separate rates for commercial and residential uses. About Rs 27,000 crore has been secured through loans for the project, and affected farmers are already receiving compensation,” Shivakumar remarked.

When farmers mentioned that Union Minister Kumaraswamy had stated at a rally that land acquisition would be halted, Shivakumar responded, “That is untrue. No land acquisition has ever been rescinded. Today, he holds a significant position—let him cancel the acquisition himself for you farmers.”

“The acquisition was conducted for the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). The case has reached the Supreme Court, and there has been no advancement since then. I have not initiated any new acquisitions. Why was the NICE project land not canceled? Because we must adhere strictly to the law,” he clarified.