No land will be acquired forcibly for Bidadi township, says CM D K Shivakumar; panel to hear farmers’ grievances
Bengaluru, July 15: The Karnataka government will not forcibly acquire land from any farmer for the proposed Bidadi township, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday, adding that compensation would be given only to those who voluntarily come forward to part with their land.
Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said a committee would be formed to hear farmers’ grievances and gather their views on the issue.
“The government will not forcibly take land from any farmer in the Bidadi township issue. We will give compensation to those who voluntarily give their land. A committee will be formed to hear the grievances and opinions of farmers in this matter,” he said.
He said those unwilling to part with their land could continue to remain on it peacefully and there was no need for protests or dharnas.
“We will not forcibly take anyone’s property. Those who do not want to give land can remain peacefully on their land. There is no need for any dharna or protest. The project process has continued based on the guidance issued during the tenure of Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa when they were Chief Ministers. I will not force anyone. The red zone order issued by them will continue. I will not compel those who do not want to give land,” he said.
Shivakumar said the decision had been taken after a meeting with farmers and officials. He added that those not interested could keep their land, while those who voluntarily came forward would be compensated and their land acquired.
He said Kumaraswamy had proposed giving 8,000 sq ft of developed land per acre as compensation, while the present government had decided to give 50 per cent, or 9,500 sq ft, of developed land per acre.
Appealing to farmers, Shivakumar said they should not become victims of politics.
“Farmers should stop agitations and dharnas and build their lives. They are making you sacrificial victims for politics. Do not become victims. When the committee members come to you, place your views before the committee. If anyone wants to beat someone, let them come and beat me,” he said.
In a sharp political attack, Shivakumar said efforts by his opponents to send him to jail could continue and that he was ready.
“If you wish, continue your experiments on me. Cases and counter-cases are already being tried against me. Kumaranna has said the day I go to jail is near. I am ready, Kumaranna. Your blessings. I am one who has been in Krishna’s birthplace. You had come and met me there. I know your efforts and struggles. I understand your mindset that no other leader should grow. Even then, respecting your seniority is my duty. If you cannot accept the respect I give you, that is your issue. I do not wish bad for anyone, and I do not wish bad for you either. If you have resolved to send me to jail, continue that effort. After going to that jail and returning, I have sat in the Chief Minister’s chair of this state,” he said.
Referring to his previous imprisonment, he said he had personally seen how people stood by him and added that the case in which he was jailed had been dismissed within two-and-a-half years.
“I bow from here at the feet of the Supreme Court. Only we know the pain my family and I suffered in that jail cell. The mothers and youth of this state shed tears, prayed for me, brought me out of jail and seated me in this position,” he said.
Shivakumar said the “pen and paper” given to him by the people was meant only for their welfare.
“I sought the blessings of the people of the state and went to Ramanagara, Channapatna, Bidadi and Kanakapura. I asked them to give me pen and paper. They have given it. This pen and paper are limited to the people of the state and their lives. No decision that causes trouble to anyone will come from this pen and paper. As long as I live, this body will be dedicated to the people of the state,” he said.
Launching a detailed attack on H D Kumaraswamy over the township issue, Shivakumar alleged that orders had earlier been issued to displace entire villages, including houses of residents, for the township project and that compensation guidelines had also been framed at that time.
He said Kumaraswamy described the Bidadi township as a real estate venture, but alleged that the earlier plan had itself entrusted the project to real estate company DLF and collected Rs 400 crore from it.
“He says this Bidadi township is real estate. But he had handed over the responsibility of building this township to real estate company DLF and had even collected Rs 400 crore from them,” Shivakumar said.
He said that despite being unwell, Kumaraswamy had spoken to farmers through video conference from Delhi and announced that 40 per cent of the developed area, around 8,000 sq ft per acre, would be given as compensation. He added that compensation of Rs 22 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per acre had been fixed then and that a government order had been issued in this regard.
Shivakumar further alleged that a letter had been written to DLF asking it to pay a security deposit and enter into an agreement within 15 days.
“Was it I who wrote to DLF asking it to pay the security deposit and sign an agreement within 15 days and did real estate business?” he asked.
He said that in a meeting held on September 23, 2006 under the leadership of the then Chief Minister, instructions had been issued to release the land to private entities in phases. He questioned whether that should be called a real estate deal or a family deal.
Shivakumar also alleged that land purchased by Kumaraswamy and his family in and around Bidadi and Devegere had been kept outside the township acquisition.
“You made sure not even one acre of the land you purchased in Bidadi, Devegere and surrounding areas came under this township. Did you not make this township in such a way that only farmers’ land would go? Did your family not buy 36 acres of land in this same township?” he asked.
He said he would not discuss what letter “Akkanavaru” had written, but claimed that the area had been declared a red zone to prevent farmers from selling their land in difficult times, calling it the first such instance in the state’s history.
“You made the preface and I am moving forward on that preface. Only in this matter am I your successor, not politically. I am bound by your decision, following your order and respecting your signature. I am continuing your thinking for the development of Bengaluru South district,” he said.
Shivakumar said that before the Bidadi township proposal, an industrial area had been created and alleged that even then certain lands had not been acquired. He said industrial townships had been developed in Shyanamangala and Harohalli and listed compensation figures there as Rs 6.5 lakh, Rs 16 lakh, Rs 25 lakh, Rs 40 lakh, and in the final stage Rs 1 crore.
Referring to later developments, Shivakumar said that 15 years after the project began, 900 acres were acquired during the BJP government in 2019 by paying compensation ranging from Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
“In this matter I do not like taking the names of Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda. But they are in those positions. Fifteen years after this project began, in 2019, during the tenure of the BJP government, which was their alliance partner, 900 acres were acquired by paying Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore as compensation. Where was your agitation and voice then? Why was there no dharna then? Did this zeal arise only after D K Shivakumar became Chief Minister?” he asked.
He also referred to the role of then Revenue Minister R Ashoka and asked why he had not raised his voice at that time.
Shivakumar said that in 2019, when B S Yediyurappa was Chief Minister and Ashoka was a minister, a committee under the Chief Secretary had reported that 9,000 acres in Bidadi were suitable for investment near Bengaluru. He said the guidance then was to use 35 per cent of the land for industry, 30 per cent for housing and the remaining area for other purposes.
He appealed that elderly people should not be hurt by being made to sit in protest near the Gandhi statue and said there was no need for mothers to beat officials with slippers or brooms.
“If I have done wrong by touching their lives, let them beat me if they want. I am ready to be beaten,” he said.
Shivakumar said the project was not his dream project, but one envisioned earlier, and that the government would continue it as a government project without giving it to any private party.
“This is not my dream project, it is your project. I am continuing the preface you wrote for it. Ours is a government project. We will not hand it over to any private party. We will not do any business,” he said.
He said a small committee would be formed in the next two to three months and that a decision would be taken on whether legislators, officials and judges should be included in it. He said he was in no hurry and would wait for the committee’s report.
In the question-and-answer session, Shivakumar said that until the committee submitted its report, the process would continue for those who voluntarily wanted to come out of the red zone by giving land.
“Those who voluntarily come forward to be relieved from the red zone and give land will be compensated and the land acquired. Those who say no will not be forced. This process will continue,” he said.
Asked about the purpose of the committee, he said it would hear farmers’ grievances, understand their thinking and examine the legal aspects.
“Many Chief Ministers have taken decisions in such matters and suffered. I will not suffer that. Even if I do not have that much knowledge, should I not ask four or five people and gain understanding?” he said.
Asked about former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s allegation that the decision had been taken to please the high command, Shivakumar said: “This is the affection he is showing me. When you made this project in 2006, which high command were you trying to please? Do you want the list of in which year he came here from Hassan and where all he took land?”
Asked whether the red zone would be removed, Shivakumar said, “I will not touch anything. I will continue as per the order already issued by them.”
On whether the project would be stopped, he said the government would proceed with those who gave land and would carry out the project transparently.
“Why should we drop this project? Why should I denotify it? Is it possible to allow those who have already given land to go back and do agriculture there again? Every process of this project will be carried out transparently,” he said.
Asked about cases against farmers, Shivakumar said no case had been filed against any farmer.
“No case has been filed against any farmer. There is no need to panic. Legal process will continue. Do you know that earlier they had got FIRs filed against 2,000 people? Do you want a list of what happened in different matters? That is not needed now,” he said.
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