Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of the final notification to acquire 1,777 acres of agricultural land in Devanahalli, near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, following intense protests by farmers.
Siddaramaiah said both preliminary and final notifications had previously been issued to acquire the land for the development of an industrial area.
“We have completely dropped the notification to acquire 1,777 acres of land. However, we will accept parcels of land that farmers are willing to offer voluntarily for industrial development,” the Chief Minister told reporters.
The decision was made after a detailed evaluation of the pros and cons of the project.
Siddaramaiah emphasised that land acquisition cannot be stopped in cases where farmers themselves come forward to offer their land.
“Our aim is to promote industrial growth. This land acquisition was intended for that purpose, and we will offer appropriate compensation,” he said.
He assured that the government would return 50% of the developed land to the farmers.
“We will exclude any land whose owners are unwilling to part with it. In fact, we are dropping the entire notification,” he reiterated.
“If farmers voluntarily give up their land, they will be provided with either higher compensation or a larger portion of the developed land. Lands not offered will remain as agricultural fields,” the Chief Minister added.
Siddaramaiah said he had communicated the decision to farmers, public representatives, and protestors, who welcomed it.
He clarified, however, that the decision applied only to Devanahalli and not to other parts of the state.
Asked about similar demands emerging elsewhere in Karnataka, he said, “The land in question is near Bengaluru, actively cultivated, and supports the livelihood of many farmers. That’s why we decided to drop the acquisition.” He further explained that since the land lies in the green belt near Kempegowda International Airport, farmers had urged the government not to acquire it and had staged protests against the plan.
The CM noted that the government had held five to six rounds of meetings with farmers and protestors.
“We listened to both the farmers’ and the government’s perspectives. We also consulted Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa, the MLA from Devanahalli, who supported the farmers’ stand,” he said.
Siddaramaiah acknowledged that farmers had been agitating for several days, joined by progressive groups, left parties, and farmers’ organisations.
“This was a unique and, in many ways, a historic struggle,” he observed.
