B'luru: 495 acres of land excluded from defence park project in Devanahalli amid farmer protests

In response to continued protests by farmers in and around Devanahalli, the Karnataka government has officially excluded 495 acres of land from acquisition for the proposed Defence and Aerospace Park. The decision pertains to three villages — Channarayapatna, Mattibarlu, and Shrotriya Tellohalli — located in Channarayapatna hobli.

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The move was finalised during a meeting held at Vidhana Soudha involving Large and Medium Industries Minister MB Patil, Devanahalli MLA KH Muniyappa, and other officials. The government has also assured that no further land will be acquired from the hobli for industrial projects.

Initially, a preliminary notification for acquiring 1,772.2 acres across 13 villages was issued on August 27, 2021, followed by a government order on February 15, 2022. However, officials reviewed the concerns raised by local farmers, particularly regarding prior land losses, the presence of irrigated farmland, and existing settlements.

As a result, 231.23 acres in Channarayapatna, 185.18 acres in Mattibarlu, and 78.21 acres in Shrotriya Tellohalli have been dropped from the acquisition plan. Authorities stated that landowners affected by the remaining acquisition will be offered either compensation determined by the District Commissioner or an alternative of 10,771 sqft of developed land per acre for commercial use.

The decision is seen as a step towards addressing farmer grievances while ensuring industrial development continues without affecting agricultural livelihoods.