The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Farmers oppose acquisition of fertile land

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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Farmers oppose acquisition of fertile land

Staff Reporter

BDA has acquired 15,000 acres of land in 56 villages
Farmers demand formulation of land acquisition policy

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Opposition: Farmers taking out a Vidhana Soudha Chalo rally in Bangalore on Monday in protest against BDA acquiring agricultural lands for developing layouts.

BANGALORE: Activists of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and Raitha Bhoohorata Samiti have opposed the acquisition of fertile cultivable lands by the Bangalore Development Authority and other government agencies for development purposes.

As a part of their protest, a large number of farmers, including women and children, participated in a “Vidhana Soudha Chalo” on Monday holding the plough and paddy plants.

N. Venkatachalaiah, president of KPRS Bangalore City unit, said that Government agencies such as the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) had acquired thousands of acres of lands.

“The BDA alone has acquired over 15,000 acres of land in 56 villages around Bangalore and formed five layouts. Majority of them are fertile cultivable lands and compensation given for these lands is less compared with the prevailing market rates. Notices are being served to evict farmers using police force,” he alleged.

“We have drawn the attention of the Government on the issue several times in the past but it has not yielded any result. We appeal to Government to look into the matter and drop the acquisition of lands without the consent of farmers,” he said.

Shantharaju, honorary president of the KPRS said: “The Visveswaraya Layout developed by the BDA by acquiring farmers’ land has remained without basic facilities. Acquired lands have been reaching the land developers,” he alleged.

He said a delegation of farmers had submitted a memorandum to the Minister for Higher Education Arvind Limbavali addressed to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa highlighting the issues.

The other demands of the farmers included formulation of land acquisition policy, security to people whose lands are sought to be acquired, issue of identity cards to the farmers who are cultivating government land and ban on auction of government land.

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