Devanahalli step-back to spur new farmer stirs?

Bengaluru: The state government’s move to rescind its decision to acquire 1,777 acres in Channarayapatna hobli of Devanahalli taluk for setting up an aeropark and allied industries, is expected to spur farmers around Bengaluru to take an agitational path against proposals to acquire their land for various projects.

Government officials believe that the Devanahalli volte-face by the government could affect development projects in Karnataka.

Farmers from Sarjapur hobli in Anekal taluk on Friday carried out a bike rally in protest against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) which has proposed to acquire parcels of land for major infrastructure projects. Farmers in other parts of the city are also gearing up to take similar action against projects that are threatening their land. 

“This has caused panic among investors, with many believing the government’s decision is a major setback to development. Naturally, more farmers are either stepping back or asking for higher compensation. There are already small pockets of agitation against various projects in areas like Nelamangala, Sarjapur and Bidadi,” a KIADB official told DH.

The success of the Devanahalli protests has already prompted conversations among farmers in Anekal, Nandagudi, Bidadi and Kanakapura, confirmed farmer leader Ramesh Cheemachanahalli.

“The chief minister’s announcement that the government would drop land acquisition has boosted farmers’ confidence. Since then, farmers around Nandagudi have reached out to me over concerns regarding the recent development projects. Though no government officials have reached out to them, they are being proactive,” he told DH.

Farmers around Nelamangala, too, are ready to take to the streets if the government decides to build Bengaluru’s second airport on the Nelamangala-Kunigal stretch.

Government sources, however, told DH that the government decision on Devanahalli would not affect the implementation of the aeropark project.

They said that land parcels in Devanahalli taluk are drawing a price of about Rs 1.78 crore per acre, and farmers voluntarily selling their land to the government are likely to get the same value.

The government currently has access to about 500 to 600 acres of land through farmers who have voluntarily come forward, said Industries Minister M B Patil.

"They might ask for a higher value. But even if they don’t, we will offer them a high value since they have come to us voluntarily. Farmers who don’t want to sell the land and continue with farming are free to do so. However, those lands will be marked off as agricultural lands, and no industrial development will be allowed there. We will not allow any lobby to succeed,” the minister told DH.

The KIADB official, however, reiterated his fears that the Devanahalli outcome would only push up demand for higher compensation.

Eddelu Karnataka’s Tara Rao believes that going forward, farmers will be more proactive in holding the government accountable.

With the Karnataka government already having a huge land bank, a monitoring body is required to keep tabs on how the land was acquired and will be acquired in future, she said.

“Currently, it is just the word of the farmers against the government. An independent body needs to look after all these matters. Even in the previous phase of the land acquisition in Devanahalli, the government took over huge chunks of land. A lot of that still has not been used, it is lying idle,” she added.

M G Balakrishna, president of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), believes that the state government needs to "figure out the needs of the farmers before things get out of hand".

“Is the compensation not adequate, or is the process too tedious? There must be something amiss. While the government must preserve wetlands, it can’t bring Bengaluru’s development to a standstill on this account,” he said. In future, he urged the government to “first sort out the land question before making deals with various industries”.