Plight of the ploughed: The struggle in Shivaram Karanth Layout

No relief in sight as farmers face compensation crisis, bribery woes

Bengaluru: For Srinivasayya and his joint family of sixteen members in North Bengaluru’s Ramagondanahalli village, agriculture has been their only source of livelihood for decades. But not any longer. Ever since the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) took away their farmland – spread over 6.5 acres – for the formation of Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout in February last year, the family – which used to employ four to six workers a day – has been jobless. 

Earth movers have started roaring on Srinivasayya’s farmland where about 2,000 areca plants and 150 coconut trees flourished. The family which produced an abundance of ragi every year now depend on the monthly ration supplied by the government for survival. Their source of income has hit rock bottom.

Like Srinivasayya, about 5,000 farmers – whose property was acquired for forming BDA’s costliest residential layout –  are faced with a double-whammy. One, the authority is yet to compensate the land losers despite taking possession of their land about fifteen months ago. Secondly, the land acquisition officers of the BDA are accused of demanding a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh for issuing what it calls an ‘entitlement certificate’. These allegations have started surfacing ever since the term of Supreme Court-monitored Justice AV Chandrashekar Committee (JCC) expired last December. 

“My sons, two of them, who were assisting me in farming, are yet to find new jobs. I don’t have money to even clear the excess electricity bill of Rs 300 (this is after the benefit of the Gruha Jyothi scheme). How can I afford to pay in lakhs as a bribe for an entitlement certificate when all my farmland is acquired?,” the 67-year-old farmer questioned. Ramagondanahalli is one of the 17 villages where the BDA is forming Karanth layout. 

Entitlement certificate – which may or may not have the legal backing – is issued by the BDA as a proof of acquisition as it mentions the extent of property acquired as well as the developed land a land-loser is entitled to. For farmers who are not opting for cash compensation, the BDA gives about 9,583 sq ft (40 per cent) of developed sites in return for acquiring one acre of farmland. 

Some of the farmers have, however, paid the bribe even though the BDA has not given a timeline on when they would be compensated. Ramesh Gowda (name changed) said he paid Rs 5 lakh as bribe even after parting with his four-acre farmland in Shamarajpura.

“They (henchmen of the special land acquisition officer) first demanded Rs 15 lakh. As many farmers had already paid to get the certificate, I was forced to pay but not as much as they asked,” he said. 

Gowda was growing a variety of vegetables before it was taken for the formation of Shivaram Karanth layout. 

Muniraju, a former president of Gantiganahalli gram panchayat, said he received the entitlement certificate for one acre and ten guntas of land without paying the bribe as the JCC committee was in force.

“Another piece of my farmland near JB Kaval which is spread across two acres has also been acquired. I have submitted multiple letters to hand over the certificate but there is a constant pressure to first pay up a bribe,” he said. The 50-year-old, who is also a social activist, has however decided not to pay as it will send a wrong message to other farmers. “I know picking a fight with the BDA is not worth it as the officers will eventually find one problem or the other in my property records.”

M Ramesh, district coordinator of Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) said the farmers, who have lost their land, are leading a miserable life. “Many have taken to alcoholism because they are jobless. Some continue to depend on cattle farming but fodder is hard to find. About 2,500 acres of farmland have been destroyed, including crops that were ready for harvest. Thousands of trees were axed. What could be development for the government has become a disaster to the livelihood of farmers,” he said. 

Ramesh, who has lost about 59 guntas of land, was one among the nine villagers arrested by the police in February last year for “stopping the BDA” from carrying out their layout formation work. They spent about five days in Bengaluru’s Central prison. One of their primary demands was that the state government must follow the 2013 Act as it mandates fair compensation and rehabilitation of farmers, unlike the BDA Act. 

When contacted, N Jayaram, commissioner of the BDA, said he never received any complaints from farmers against the land acquisition officers.

“We are holding village-level camps to issue entitlement certificates as it will reduce the scope for demanding bribes,” he said. On compensation, he said it will be issued once the High Court allows allotment of sites to the public.