Curation Team
BENGALURU: Land acquisition has emerged the biggest roadblock for a string of infrastructure projects proposed around Bengaluru, with an estimated 90,000 acres needed for various development initiatives.
While acquisition costs alone are staggering, farmer groups and political functionaries are pushing back, with Bangalore Rural MP Dr CN Manjunath joining the chorus of opposition against the ambitious Greater Bengaluru Township Project planned in Bidadi, Ramanagara district.
In a letter to chief minister Siddaramaiah Sunday, Manjunath urged the govt to drop the proposal to acquire 9,600 acres of land spread across 24 villages under the Byramangala and Kanchanahalli gram panchayats. Farmers are already protesting the proposed acquisition.
“The large tract chosen for the township project is fertile farmland,” Manjunath’s letter says. “The livelihoods of thousands of farmers, including those who have smallholdings of about one or two acres, will be at stake if the land is acquired. Aside from this, the project will cause irreparable damage to agriculture and biodiversity of the area, as it houses about 10 lakh trees.”
Land requirements don’t stop there. The infrastructure department has identified three potential sites for a proposed second international airport for Bengaluru — two near Kanakapura Road in Ramanagara and one near Solur between Nelamangala and Kunigal. The project requires 5,000 acres. A team from Airports Authority of India (AAI) recently inspected the sites, and the state govt is awaiting AAI’s report.
However, opposition is already mounting. Nelamangala MLA Srinivasaiah N has written to both the CM and deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who also oversees Bengaluru development, representing the farmers’ concerns over the proposed airport.
Infrastructure development minister MB Patil has moved to allay concerns, saying: “The project is still in a nascent stage and the cabinet will decide on further steps after receiving the AAI report. Farmers and other stakeholders need not worry about the land issue, as the govt is committed to carrying out acquisition in a scientific manner, taking concerns of all stakeholders into consideration.”
In addition, Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) has outlined plans for five theme-based townships in Solur (healthcare), Bidadi (cultural), Doddaballapur (manufacturing), Hoskote (IT), and Dabaspet (logistics), requiring around 2,000 acres. Housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan has initiated raitha adalats (farmers’ courts) to build consensus.
Another key proposal is a revival of the 2006 BMRDA plan to create five integrated townships across Bidadi, Ramanagara, Sathanur, Solur, and Nandagudi — each needing 15,000 acres. Separately, 2,000 acres have been notified for Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board’s (KIADB) Knowledge, Wellbeing and Innovation (KWIN) City near Hoskote. “It is a challenging situation,” said Hoskote MLA Sharath Bachegowda. “The govt should ensure a fine balance between development and preserving cultivable land and protecting livelihoods of farmers. It needs a pragmatic outlook.”
