In a massive push for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township Project, the Karnataka government has issued final land acquisition notifications for nearly 4,945 acres across four villages.

Key Takeaways

  • The Karnataka government issued final notifications for 4,944.49 acres in four villages near Bidadi.
  • The acquisition targets K.G. Gollarapalya, Bannigiri, Aralalusandra, and Hosuru.
  • CM D.K. Shivakumar has proposed a review committee to evaluate the project's impact.
  • Total land requirement for the GBIT project stands at approximately 9,600 acres.

Bengaluru: Moving swiftly with its urban expansion plans, the Karnataka government on Wednesday issued the final notification for the acquisition of 4,944.49 acres of land spread across four revenue villages near Bidadi. This move is part of the ambitious Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) Project, a cornerstone in the state's strategy to decongest the capital city.

Scale of Acquisition and Affected Areas

This latest notification marks the largest single tranche of land acquisition for the project to date. The targeted areas include the revenue villages of K.G. Gollarapalya, Bannigiri, Aralalusandra, and Hosuru. A significant portion of this—4,717.96 acres—consists of active farmland. Specifically, Hosuru contributes 2,390.12 acres, while Aralalusandra accounts for 1,460.21 acres. With this development, the total land notified across seven villages now reaches 5,462 acres.

Political Context and Farmer Resistance

The government's decision comes at a sensitive political juncture. Just hours prior to the notification, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced the formation of a dedicated committee to scrutinize the merits and demerits of the project. This move appears to be an attempt to balance industrial growth with social stability, especially as the farmers' protest at Bairamangala has now persisted for nearly 500 days. The tension between rapid urbanization and agrarian preservation remains at the heart of the Bidadi controversy.

Administrative Stance and Implementation

Despite the ongoing protests, officials from the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) have maintained that the project must proceed. Senior officials stated that they are prioritizing compensation for farmers who are willing to part with their land. "Those who don't want to part with their land, we won't force them. Whoever is willing to give their land, we will release compensation to them," an official remarked. However, the project still faces a massive hurdle, as it requires a total of 9,600 acres across 25 different revenue and non-revenue villages to be fully realized.