The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Farmers oppose land acquisition by KIADB

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Farmers oppose land acquisition by KIADB

Staff Reporter

Say acquisition process violates international airport authority’s master plan

‘Farmers’ consent not taken before final notifications’
Clearance has not been taken from various agencies

BANGALORE: A committee of farmers who are losing over 3,600 acres of land owing to acquisition by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) in and around Devanahalli has urged the Government to give up the process as it will severely affect the farmers.

If acquisition was unavoidable, the Board should offer 50 per cent of the developed area developed by acquiring farmers’ land to the farmers, committee convener D.S. Gowda told presspersons here on Tuesday.

While preliminary notifications for acquisition of lands in B.K. Palya, Arebannimangala, Gollahalli (for industrial use), Mahadevakodigehalli, Hoovinayakanahalli and Bagalur (for hardware park) have been issued, final notifications for acquisition of lands in Bangikodigehalli (industrial special economic zone), Dummanahalli, Singahalli, Unasur, Junnahalli, Baladimmanahalli, Kavada Dasanahalli, Bhatra Marenahalli and Bettakote (special economic zone for aircraft spare parts) have been issued.

He alleged that the acquisition process undertaken in the villages violated the Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority’s (BIAAPA) master plan, as the lands come under “special agricultural zone.”

Further, the KIADB has not obtained clearance from various agencies, including the pollution control board, the agriculture department and the BIAAPA, he said.

Some of the villages in which lands are being acquired for SEZ come under Bangalore Urban district and according to the new SEZ policy; lands could not be acquired in the urban district.

The Board had not conducted joint survey and did not obtain farmers’ consent before issuing the final notifications, Mr. Gowda said.

The proposal to set up SEZs and industrial parks also violated Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s plans, which specified that no construction should come up within four kilometre radius of the international airport.

Apart from offering market price for lands acquired, the Government should issue an order exempting the land losers from paying stamp duty if they purchase land in future, Mr. Gowda said.

If the Government did not address various issues raised by affected farmers, it should issue a denotification letter, he said.

Farmer leaders B.R. Padmanabha and B. Anjinappa were present.

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