Farmers of eight villages around Devanahalli appear to have reached a consensus to hand over their land to the government to develop an aerospace industry near the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). However, the ryots have added a few more conditions for handing over their land.

Around 500 farmers on Tuesday gathered at Bhattara-Marenahalli of Channarayapattana Hobli in Devanahalli Taluk to discuss about the government’s new offer price for the land and build a consensus on it.

The government on Saturday is learnt to have agreed to offer Rs 57 lakh and Rs 55 lakh per acre land in villages under the Bangalore urban district and Bangalore rural district respectively. Earlier in the month of September and October, the government had fixed a rate of Rs 35 lakh per acre land in urban district and Rs 30 lakh per acre land in rural district, which the farmers had discarded.

The government plans to acquire a total of 918 acres of land- 318 acres of land in Singahalli, Dummanahalli and Hunasur under Bangalore urban district and 600 acres of land in Bhattara-Marenahalli, Kawadadasanahalli, Baladimmanahalli, Jonnahalli and Bettakote under Bangalore rural district.

 Raitha Horata Samithi President D S Gowda said there is almost consensus among the farmers to hand over the land  at the offered price. He added that the government agreed either to pay the cash  or 8500 sq ft site in a well-developed layout against each acre of surrendered agriculture land.