Farmers protest land acquisition by BDA

Farmers protest land acquisition by BDA

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: In an effort to calm down the agitating farmers who are likely to lose their land for housing projects taken up by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Wednesday met a group of farmers near Basaveshwara Circle.

Accepting a memorandum from members of Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha (KPRS) who were protesting against BDA’s move, the Chief Minister assured them that their demands would be looked into.

Earlier, chaos and tension reigned for some time near Basaveshwara Circle, when the Chief Minister tried calling a few leaders for talks to the nearby Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) office.

The protesters, who wanted the Chief Minister to call a special meeting of representatives of all farmers’ groups refused to oblige and demanded that the Chief Minister should come to them. Following this, police officials intervened and brought the Chief Minister to the spot.

The KPRS members were opposing the State Government’s plans to acquire agricultural land to develop new housing layouts. Raising slogans against the Government and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), hundreds of farmers led by sangha State general secretary G.C. Bayya Reddy and city president K.N. Venkatachalaiah demanded that the Government should provide compensation that was equivalent to the prevalent market rate of the land.

“They have decided to pay us a compensation of Rs. 22 lakh for very acre, whereas the current market rate is more than Rs. 1 crore. Apart from this, the Government should give a site and a constructed house to the farmer whose land is acquired,” KPRS State committee member Mr. Srinivas said.