DCM DK Shivakumar defends land acquisition, outlines vision for Greater Bengaluru model township

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing a massive township over 10,000 acres, promising it would surpass Bengaluru in terms of planning and infrastructure.

Also read: BBMP eyes ₹600 crore revenue from hoarding revival with new ad policy amid revenue losses

Emphasizing that the project would transform the region into a modern model city, he defended the decision to retain the acquired land, noting that the acquisition process began during JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy’s tenure as Chief Minister.

Rejecting calls for denotification, Shivakumar stressed that reversing land acquisitions often triggers corruption allegations, a pattern he claimed to have observed firsthand. He also questioned why previous JD(S) governments, despite proposing seven townships including Bidadi, Sathanur, and Nandagudi, did not move to denotify the land during their time in power.

Shivakumar assured that affected farmers had been consulted and offered fair compensation, either through financial settlements or allocation of developed plots. Addressing their concerns remains a priority, he said.

In a separate development, Shivakumar reiterated plans to rename Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South district’, linking the move to regional pride.

Meanwhile, the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, received assent from Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 24. The landmark legislation aims to restructure Bengaluru’s civic administration by splitting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into multiple smaller corporations to enhance governance and service delivery across the expanding city.