JD(S) chief H. D. Deve Gowda on Wednesday said that he would undertake a tour from February 16 to create awareness among farmers about BJP government’s reported move to acquire land and set up a land bank to facilitate setting up of industries and development of infrastructure.
The JD(S) along with leaders from Left parties, Dalita Sangarsha Samiti and other organisations would undertake a week-long tour in Bangalore city and 26 other districts where the government had notified agricultural land for acquisition, the former Prime Minister told reporters here.
The government, which is seeking to set up a land bank to attract more investments from big industries into the State, had notified around 1.71 lakh acres for acquisition, out of which nearly 1.46 lakh acres was agricultural land, he alleged.
In Ramanagara, 12,200 acres of agricultural land had been notified while in Dharwad over 9300 acres, in Mysore 5000 acres and 4900 acres in Tumkur had been notified, he alleged.
“I will meet farmers and other representatives. We will not allow creation of this land bank”, he said.
“There is no need for creation of such a land bank as it would deeply impact farmers”, he said. The government, he suggested, should only acquire land when there was some firmed up proposal to set up an industry.
