Bidadi township: Land acquisition to hit small farmers

A whopping 82% of the 10,580 farmers whose lands are notified for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) in Bidadi own less than an acre, official document shows.

What's more, around 2,500 farmers own less than 5 guntas of land. The figures show the land acquisition will predominantly affect ordinary agrarian families, raising concerns about loss of livelihood, limited bargaining power and fewer compensation options.

Officials, however, dismissed the fears of displacement, stating that every small and marginal land owner can opt for 'developed site' as compensation on a pro-rata basis for parting with their farmland. They also said that only a "small percentage" of landowners have raised objections.

According to village-wise data accessed by DH, as many as 10,580 landowners fall within the acquisition bracket of the proposed project spread across nine villages including Hosuru, Byramangala, Kanchugaranahalli, Bannigiri and Aralalasandra. 

The project, popularly known as Bidadi township, will come up on 7,481 acres. The state government is expected to issue the final notification for acquiring the land in a week’s time.   

What stands out in the data is the highly fragmented nature of land ownership in and around Bidadi. 

Over 8,600 farmers own less than an acre, indicating that the affected families are dependent on modest agriculture and do not come from well-to-do families. About 1,900 families possess more than an acre. What’s more, only two own over 20 acres of farmland. 

"I have 15 guntas of farmland and the entire piece of land has been notified for the project," Manjunath, a resident of Byramangala, said. "I have raised my two kids without facing any financial hardship. One of them is an engineering student in Bengaluru. If I lose the agricultural land, what work will I be able to do? I don't want to work under someone else," he said. 

According to records, the largest concentration of affected farmers fall in the 10-20 guntas and 20-40 guntas categories. Notably, the strongest opposition to acquisition is also coming from this section. On the contrary, farmers owing large tracts of land appear to be in favour of parting with their land as they have enough financial resources to wait for the 'developed site', which may take a minimum of two or three years. 

As per the government order, a developed residential site as big as 9,693 square feet per acre or monetary compensation three times the guidance value are the two primary compensation packages to be offered to farmers. Officials said that a person owning five guntas can opt for a 30x40 developed site, officials said. 

GN Nataraj Ganakal, president of Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) —which is implementing the township project — said no farmer who parts with the land for the project will become landless.

"They are all our people. We have designed compensation in such a way that everyone will get a minimum of one site," he said, adding that close to 90% of the farmers are in favour of the project. "We have received objections from 1,000 farmers. That’s a small percentage for such a huge project."