Decade-long fight between BDA and farmers over NPKL layout resolved

Resolving a decade-long tussle between the farmers and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) over the acquisition of lands for formation of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), both the stakeholders on Wednesday arrived at a consensus mutually benefiting each other. While the state government (BDA) agreed to address the farmers’ demands in a time-bound manner, the farmers decided to withdraw land dispute cases from the courts.

Taking part in a negotiation meet between BDA and farmers held by BDA chairperson S R Vishwanath, the farmers were assured by the Chairperson that their demands will be met in a time-bound manner. About 50 farmers’ leaders led by NPKL Horata Samiti President Channappa accepted the government’s proposal and agreed to withdraw all cases that were filed challenging the acquisition of close to 600 acres.

Farmers’ leaders alleged that BDA officials are demanding documents that are difficult to source and making the farmers shuttle between various governments for years. “As per the agreement, the BDA was supposed to give us either sites or cash for the acquired land. But none of us has been provided with anything. We neither got anything from the government nor are we allowed to cultivate anything in our land,” farmers reportedly alleged during the meeting.

Some of the major demands of the farmers included compensation to the farmers who lost land to the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project, reservation of land for setting up burial grounds in villages in some cases, the building of approach roads to the villages, development of civic infrastructure in the affected villages, resolving of problems pertaining to the revenue sites and other similar problems.

Discussing the farmers’ demands on the spot with the BDA officials, Vishwanath promised the protesting farmers that at least 90 per cent of the demands will be attended in a time-bound manner by the state government. “I have directed the officials to resolve problems pertaining to the payment of compensation to the farmers within 15 days to one month. We (Government) have already directed the Revenue Department to ascertain the authenticity of the land wherever the revenue sites have been formed and soon this issue will also be resolved,” he explained.