Devanahalli farmers demand Rs 30 million for each acre of land

The farmers of Channarayapatna in Devanahalli near Bangalore, where the international airport is coming up, have demanded a minimum of Rs 30 million per acre as compensation for the 550 acres of land proposed to be acquired by the Government for setting up Aerospace Industries.

The farmers put forward their demand at a meeting Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore Rural district D K Rangaswamy had convened to fix a price for their land.

Claiming that a good portion of the land notified by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), a nodal agency of the Government, was fertile, the farmers said they would not accept even a rupee less than Rs 30 million for each acre however much the Government pressurizes them.

The farmers have also made it clear that they would allow the Government to take them for a ride as the farmers, whose lands had been acquired for a song in the name of international airport project. “Farmers, who gave their land for the international airport project were paid only Rs 500,000 per acre. But, today the price of land has increased enormously. We don’t want to lose our land for a small price”, said Muniyappa, a farmers’ leader.

The farmers said they will not let go of their land until the compensation amount as demanded by them is fixed in the presence of no less a person than the Chief Minister of the State H D Kumaraswamy.

The farmers even expressed displeasure against the Government’s decision to repeatedly summon them to Bangalore for meetings on acquisition of their land.

“If they want our land, they should come to our village and hold a meeting. We are forced to come to Bangalore several times by spending money from our pockets. Each farmer has to spend at least Rs 200 to reach Bangalore and spend the day here. We are forced to spend money only to lose our land”, said Muniyappa exasperatedly.

Another farmer Venkatesh sought to know whether government officials ever attend any meeting without claiming travel allowance. “Will the Government officers attend any meeting without claiming travel and dearness allowance?”, he said.

He said the farmers are afraid the skip these meetings as they fear that the Government will take a one-sided decision.