Scrap Bidadi township plan or face massive stir: Farmers’ forum warns govt

Bengaluru: Taking a dig at the state government’s push for urban expansion at the cost of ecological stability, the Samyukta Horata Karnataka, a unified coalition of agrarian, Dalit, and labour organisations, on Monday demanded the immediate withdrawal of Cabinet approval for the Bidadi Township project.

Terming the proposed mega township a disaster that would ravage thousands of acres of perennially irrigated land, the coalition warned the Siddaramaiah-led Congress administration to scrap the land acquisition process or face a massive political backlash.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, prominent leaders, including Badagalapura Nagendra, Siddanagouda Patil, Noor Sridhar, T Yashavantha, P P Appanna, and Prakash, along with aggrieved farmers, drew parallels with historical land struggles. They noted that the ongoing agitation by local farmers has crossed 428 days of an indefinite strike, yet the government chose to bypass democratic consultations to grant Cabinet clearance.

“This is not barren wasteland; it is a lush green, multi-cropped belt producing coconut, arecanut, banana, mango, ragi, and jowar, alongside thriving dairy farming and sericulture operations,” the leaders stated. Adjacent to the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA) boundary, this region serves as a crucial, daily food granary supplying milk, fruits, and vegetables directly to Bengaluru.

The farmers’ body directly accused Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of using administrative machinery to bulldoze public opposition to benefit the real estate mafia, calling the Cabinet approval a naked violation of democratic rights and a dictatorial act.

The coalition strongly disputed the government’s claim that satellite townships are necessary to decongest the state capital.