Farmers oppose BDA's plan to acquire more land for Shivaram Karanth Layout

Bengaluru: Farmers gathered at the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) head office on Wednesday to oppose the move to extend the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout to 35 more villages.

They insisted that the authority should first compensate those who have already parted with their land for the layout, which is ready for allotment.

A group of farmers also handed a memorandum to BDA chairman N Jayaram to drop the proposal to acquire about 2,000 acres of land to form the new layout in the city’s east and north parts.

"The BDA has already snatched the livelihoods of farmers by forcefully acquiring 2,500 acres of land for the Shivaram Karanth Layout. The farmers are leading a pathetic life because the BDA has not compensated them. If the authorities go ahead with one more layout, we will hold an indefinite dharna,” said  Mavallipura Srinivas, a social activist. 

The farmers are also mulling a legal challenge to the proposal. "The BDA has no authority to issue a circular for surveying the villages for acquiring more land,” said another farmer. "(Already) it is unable to compensate land losers fairly." 

“The National Highways Authority of India, which is building the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR), is compensating as per the 2013 Act, but the BDA wants to follow the British era (compensation) act. We will not allow that,” the farmer added. 

PRR project

The farmers also demanded fair compensation for those who gave up their land for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project.

A protestor said his seven-acre land had been notified for acquisition by three different agencies, including the BDA and GAIL. “If the compensation is not fair, why should we part with our land?" he said.