Tech park still in compensation deadlock

Tech park still in compensation deadlock
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The deadlock on compensation continues for farmers who stand to lose land to the proposed hardware park in Devanahalli. On Thursday, another round of talks between farmers and a
team of officials, headed by Bangalore Urban deputy commissioner G N Nayak, failed to resolve the issue.
Nayak announced rates framed by the government for land in three villages — Bagalur (Rs 60 lakh per acre), Hoovanayakanahalli (Rs 50 lakh per acre) and Mahadeva Kodigehalli (Rs 45 lakh per acre). Farmers dismissed these as “too low” and stopped further interaction.
D S Gowda, convener of Raitha Horata Samithi, said the farmers want around Rs 2 crore per acre. “The government has not announced uniform rates for the three villages. Further, the rates are much lower than present market rates,” Gowda said.
The proposal for the electronic hardware park, which has been on hold since 2002, has failed to take off due to the compensation row. The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) identified 869 acres in three villages at Jala hobli, Bangalore North taluk (Urban district).
The farmers last met the DC in July, but the meeting failed. KIADB maintains the compensation package has to come at the policy level, which cannot be changed outright. The farmers are likely to make another representation to the government to find a way out of the deadlock.
PROJECT ZONE
Three major projects have been proposed in Devanahalli. The aerospace industry park also faced resistance from farmers over compensation. But the issue was resolved recently after rates were fixed at Rs 55 lakh per acre (Rural) and Rs 57 lakh per acre (Urban). For the park, 918 acres were identified and the compensation drive started early.
THEIR STATUS
Aerospace industry park
Farmers agree, compensation drive on
Hardware park
Negotiations over compensation fail
Information technology park
Final notification yet to be issued
LANDLOCKED
Another round of talks fails Demand for uniform compensation in three villages Farmers demand higher compensation than what has been offered Officials pass buck to government Farmers plan representations to the government