The Hindu : Tourism project allowed at the cost of farmers: Yuva JD(S)

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Tourism project allowed at the cost of farmers: Yuva JD(S)

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE FEB. 12. The State unit of the Yuva Janata Dal (Secular) today accused the State Government of promoting land sharks and land developers and helping them to "grab" cultivable lands of farmers in villages in the guise of the new tourism policy.

The President of the unit, K.N. Chakrapani, said the Government had authorised the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to acquire 70 acres of agricultural land belonging to farmers at Hebbal in Bangalore Urban District, to promote a tourism project.

The KIADB had been authorised to acquire the land reserved as a park area by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in its Revised Comprehensive Development Plan, 2011. Nearly 400 farmers of Kasaba, Hebbala Amanikere, and Hebbal, would lose land if the proposed tourism project was implemented, Mr. Chakrapani said.

A meeting of a high-level committee on June 28, 2000, presided over by the Large- and Medium-scale Industries Minister, R.V. Deshpande, had agreed to acquire the land through the KIADB for the Lakeview Tourism Corporation (LTC), Bangalore.

The LTC was promoted by Ramdas Pai, head of Manipal Group, Dayananda Pai and Satish Pai, real-estate businessmen, and Syed Mohammed Salahuddin, the Dubai-based businessman. The LTC proposed to construct, at a cost of Rs. 250 crore, a "unicare tourist centre" with a resort and five-star hotel, amusement park, water park, indoor recreation facilities, open air theatre, and indoor stadiums. The LTC had paid Rs. 1 crore to the KIADB, Mr. Chakrapani said.

The University of Agricultural Sciences, Hebbal, would lose about five acres of land, he said, and added that the KIADB had decided to acquire the land by violating rules and norms.

In 2000, in the case of C. Kenchappa and others versus the State of Karnataka and others, the High Court challenged the grant of "gomal" land and land covered by the "green belt'' areas by the Government for industrial purpose, on the ground that land earmarked for a specific purpose should not be acquired for another purpose. Besides grazing land, the Government had agreed to give a number of concessions to the LTC. The company had been exempted from entry tax on machinery and equipment during the execution of the project, and granted 50 per cent exemption from stamp duty and concessions in registration charges on land documents.

Mr. Chakrapani said the BWSSB had been directed to supply two lakh litres of water per day, and the KPTCL 15 MW of power at industrial tariff. The State Exchequer would lose Rs. 21 core by giving tax concessions to the project, he added.

Villagers had decided to oppose the project, he said. "We have filed our objections to the KIADB. We have no other source for livelihood if we lose our land," Muniyamma, a farmer, told The Hindu.

Leaders of the Yuva JD(S) urged the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, to drop the proposed project, and demanded a probe.

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