DKS Faces Opposition Over Acquisition Of Fertile Farm Lands For Bidadi Township Project
About 8,500 acres in the villages of Byramangala, Hosur, Kachaganahalli, Harahallisandra and surrounding villages including some sub-villages was acquired. The project was envisaged by incumbent Union Minister of Large Scale Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy when he was the Chief Minister in 2006-07 before it went to dormant state
BENGALURU: Chief Minister-designate D.K. Shivakumar under pressure from farmers of Bidadi in his native district-Bengaluru South over steps being initiated to acquire as many as 8,500 acres of farm lands for the proposed Bidadi Townships Project (country's first AI city project) which was lying in a dormant state for close to a decade and half. All set to take oath as Chief Minister on Wednesday, D.K. Shivakumar belongs to Doddalahalli and represents Kanakapura Assembly seat in Bengaluru South district.
About 8,500 acres in the villages of Byramangala, Hosur, Kachaganahalli, Harahallisandra and surrounding villages including some sub-villages was acquired. The project was envisaged by incumbent Union Minister of Large Scale Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy when he was the Chief Minister in 2006-07 before it went to dormant state.
Setting its eyes on the project, Congress party returned to power in 2023 and the Congress ruled State Government initiated steps to expedite the project by serving preliminary notices to the farmers and fixed Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.55 crore for a farmer sacrificing his lands. Farmers are unhappy over D.K. Shivakumar hell bent for the project completion.
One of the farmers leading the protests to mount pressure on the State Government in particular D.K. Shivakumar, a farmer Prakash belonging to Byramangala, explained to Deccan Chronicle the project will displace about 5,000 farmer families while 17,000 people will be affected.
“The farmers over here at content with their earnings from lands they own and most of them depend on animal husbandry activities, farmers grow silk cocoons in large quantities, grow coconut/bananas in vast acres,” said Prakash and stated “The region is blessed with ample supply of water to irrigate the lands.”
“Milk production from these villages are major contributors for Karnataka Milk Federation,” Prakash said and wanted Shivakumar, Chief Minister-elect to consider the pleas to shelve the project in the interest of farmers.
“The project faces main opposition from small and marginal farmers since they are the ones who will be affected the most while big farmers, in favour of the project, are happy and have given their consent for land acquisition,” he said.
Prakash stated farmers fearing displacement have made presentations to outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Deputy Commissioner among other officials concerned to shelve the project but nothing substantial happened.
The anti-Bidadi Township Project is supported by an estimated 3,500 farmer families and farmers fearing displacement contemplate on waging a legal battle against the State Government if their pleas go unheard.
