BANGALORE: A committee headed by Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi and comprising the Metropolitan Commissioner of Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and other senior officials will be formed to discuss compensation package to farmers of Bidadi Hobli who are likely to lose land for Bidadi Integrated Township Project (BITP).

The committee is likely to come out with a solution with in the next 10 days.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy told presspersons here on Tuesday that the State Government would not sacrifice the interests of farmers as well as landless labourers of the villages that would be affected by the project. "Financial empowerment of all classes of people in the affected areas should be considered and the committee is likely to submit its report in 10 days," he said.

The announcement by the Chief Minister came after a meeting with the farmers of the areas likely to be affected by the BITP.

Farmers' demand

During the meeting, the farmers demanded that they be provided with 40 per cent of the developed land instead of monetary compensation. Farmers' leader G. Ramaiah said: "The residential pockets in the affected areas should remain untouched as far as possible. In case it becomes imminent to acquire residential area, the Government should rehabilitate the people before commencing the development work." The demands of the farmers, if met by the Government, should be notified in the gazette, he added.

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