IT hub has Devanahalli up in arms

IT hub has Devanahalli up in arms

The state government's proposal to set up an Information Technology Investment Region on a 12,000-acre plot in Devanahalli and Doddaballapur taluks has created unrest among farmers who stand to lose their land in the process, report Santosh Kumar RB and Sunitha Rao R

Santosh Kumar RB and Sunitha Rao R



The much-hyped Information Technology Investment Region project in Devanahalli is facing hurdles even before it has acquired its final shape on the drawing board.
On Friday, over 700 farmers from various villages near Devanahalli staged a dharna to protest against the proposed land acquisition for the project.
The Bhoo Horata Samithi, a farmers' organisation floated by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, led the protest. At the end of the protest, a memorandum was submitted to the governor and deputy commissioner through the tahsildar of Devanahalli taluk.
"The government intends to acquire 12,000 acres of land in 29 villages of Devanahalli and Doddaballapura taluks. It is not yet clear on the compensation. There are rumors that the compensation might be fixed at Rs 10-50 lakh per acre. We have no clue what the government is thinking. But we are against giving away our lands," an agitated farmer said.
The state government had, last week, given the green signal for the land acquisition process in Devanahalli and Doddaballapaura taluks for the project.
IT/BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu had said on Wednesday last that the state government proposed to set up the IT hub at an investment of Rs1,00,000 crore near Devanahalli to create 20 lakh jobs.
Naidu stated that the state government had already identified a 40 sq km plot for the project in Devanahalli and Doddaballapur taluks for the purpose. "The hub will be a boon for builders and developers. It will be ready for occupation within six months," he had said.
The massive project is proposed to be completed on a public-private partnership model and would provide all amenities and facilities for IT, IT-enabled services and electronic hardware manufacturers.
However, the farmers in the area are not ready to fall in line and give away their lands for the project.
"Huge tracts of land had been earlier acquired by the government for the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA). In fact, most of this acquired land has not been used for the airport. Land reserved for the hotel hub is also lying vacant. The government has become a real estate agent," said Dr Srinivasa Reddy, vice-president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.storm in a shell: Farmers are not ready to give away the land for the project. Huge tracts of land from Devanahalli had been already been acquired for BIA, they say