Farmers in Devanahalli oppose land acquisition for industrial purposes

Meeting on October 25 to deliberate on acquisition of 1,777 acres of land

People from 13 villages oppose land acquisition, citing their livelihoods

According to M.B. Patil, the Minister for Large and Medium Industries in Karnataka, there has been staunch resistance from farmers in Devanahalli regarding the acquisition of land for industrial purposes. A scheduled meeting on October 25 will delve into this contentious matter.

In a recent statement, Patil mentioned that a meeting that took place between government representatives and farmers at Khanija Bhavan recently did not yield any positive results. The issue of land acquisition remains unresolved.

The proposed meeting scheduled on October 25 again aims to deliberate on the acquisition of 1,777 acres of land in Channarayapatna hobli of Devanahalli taluk for the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.

Patil emphasized opposition of people from 13 villages to the land acquisition, quoting the farmers’ concerns about the livelihoods of numerous farming families dependent on this land. The farmers are advocating for the cancellation of the preliminary notification issued in this regard.

Patil clarified that there exists a provision to compensate farmers with 10,800 square feet of land for every acre acquired by the KIADB, which can be utilized by them for commercial purposes.

Furthermore, the minister highlighted the broader efforts of the Industrial Area Development Board in acquiring land not only in Devanahalli, but across the state to facilitate the expansion of industries.