KIADB to acquire land for industrial townships

KIADB to acquire land for industrial townships

The Hindu

25,000 acres, mostly farmland, targeted for acquisition

# 1,000 acres to be acquired around Bangalore exclusively for Japanese industries
# Farmers have already staged protests in Kolar district against acquisition of land

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) will acquire over 25,000 acres, most of it from farmers, in the next 10 months for setting up industrial townships across the State.

In the next couple of months, the KIADB will acquire 1,000 acres at Ganapathihalli near Tavarakere, 1,000 acres in Dobbspet (both in Bangalore Urban district), 1,850 acres in Kanakapura taluk and 600 acres each in Malur and Narasapura (both in Kolar district) to set up new industrial townships, sources in the Industries Department told The Hindu . There are 133 industrial areas in the State at present.

As land prices keep increasing steeply in and around Bangalore, neighbouring Kolar district (70 km from Bangalore) has been attracting investment. Some industrialists have decided to set up units in the district.

Kolar has attracted investment of Rs. 155.30 crore (10 projects) in the first five months of this fiscal year. The projects will generate 2,755 jobs. The State High-level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) meeting on August 28, 2006 cleared two projects in Kolar worth Rs. 125 crore, and they are expected to generate 8,545 jobs. The State-level Single Window Agency cleared the investment of Rs. 11,203 crore in 2005-06.

Congested

Over 3,000 small- and medium-scale industries located at Kamakshipalya in Bangalore will be shifted to Ganapathihalli. Kamakshipalya has become congested, and there is no space for expansion of existing industries. Most of what were once small-scale units have now become medium-scale enterprises, sources in the Karnataka Small-scale Industries Association (KASSIA) said.

The Industries Department will allot land to each unit depending upon turnover, product, market share, payment of tax and number of employees. An 18-member committee will screen applications from industrial units and allot land at Ganapathihalli, sources said.

Land will be acquired at Harohalli in Kanakapura taluk for setting up townships of general industries, automobile and textile units. Gokaldas Exports Ltd. is setting up a Special Economic Zone near Kanakapura on 400 acres. The complex will attract investment from leading garment companies in the country.

One thousand acres will be acquired exclusively for Japanese industries, and the department is looking for land around Bangalore for the purpose, sources said.

Farmers will be adequately compensated for the land acquired. Though a major portion of the notified land belongs to farmers, most of it is wasteland or dry land, KIADB sources said.

Land price

The local guidance value, statistics of land sale prices for the past three years and an additional 42 per cent of the land value will be taken into account while fixing the price at which land will be acquired. In cases of opposition from farmers to the acquisition, a Price Advisory Committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner concerned will decide on the value of land, KIADB sources said. Farmers have already held protest demonstrations in Narasapura, Malur and other areas against the acquisition of land.