The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Interests of farmers will be protected’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Interests of farmers will be protected’

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Minister for Planning and Small Savings Ramachandra Gowda has asserted that planned development is possible only when land is under the control of the Government.

Intervening in the discussion in the Legislative Council on Tuesday on the Government’s proposal to establish satellite towns and special economic zones, Mr. Gowda said that in the light of the difficulties facing farmers owing to growing land deals, the Government had realised that it was its responsibility to protect the interests of farmers.

A major portion of the real estate business in Bangalore was controlled by land sharks from outside. Although layouts planned by the Bangalore Development Authority and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had adequate infrastructure, private layouts caused problems for residents and neighbouring areas, he said.

Farmers in the vicinity of Bangalore had lost interest in agriculture and were willing to sell their land. The Government had decided to purchase land directly from farmers for development purposes instead of allowing private developers to so, Mr. Gowda said.

Initiating the discussion, V.R. Sudarshan (Congress) said the Government was attempting to promote the real estate business in the guise of development. People were now demanding a judicial inquiry into land acquisitions, he said.

Referring to the observations made by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s fact-finding committee on the issue, Mr. Sudarshan claimed that the report of the committee was apolitical. The committee visited all the disputed areas.

Welcoming the findings of the KPCC committee, Y.S.V. Datta (JD-S) asked how many such reports the party had compiled earlier in the public interest. Mr. Datta said the Government was ready to give a fitting reply to the committee’s findings with evidence.

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