The grievance redressal meeting with farmers and landowners in Bengaluru on Monday. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Bengaluru
The meeting between farmers whose lands have been notified for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project and the State government, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday, failed to resolve the impasse over land acquisition for the project.
Unhappy over the outcome of the meeting, several farmers and site owners whose lands have been notified for PRR organised under Peripheral Ring Road Raitha Hagu Niveshanadarara Sangha have now decided to move the High Court seeking quashing of the final notification issued by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) for acquisition of 1,810 acres of land for implementation of the project.
As the final notification for acquiring these lands for the project was issued in 2007 and as per the BDA Act, 1976, notification lapses if there is no development for over five years, farmers who are upset over the proposed low compensation for their lands have now decided to move the court against it.
The farmers and site owners whose lands were notified for acquisition to implement the 73 km-long PRR project are adamant on their demand to receive compensation under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, if not, they want the project scrapped.
Addressing the farmers, Mr. Shivakumar said the government was in no position to denotify the land or drop the project. He assured the farmers that he would work towards protecting the interest of land losers. “I will make efforts to enhance the compensation but the Supreme Court has clearly ordered to pay compensation under BDA Act,” he said. The PRR road that will pass through six taluks and 77 villages, connecting Tumakuru and Hosur Road passing through Old Madras Road, will be a lifeline for the city’s economy and will help decongest the city, he said, batting for the project.
The BDA identified 2,596 acres and 29.75 guntas of land and in the final notification issued on June 26, 2007, 1,810 acres were notified for acquisition. In the second and third preliminary notification, an additional 861 acre was notified in 2006 and 2007, respectively. After facing legal hurdles in the courts, the Supreme Court finally pronounced a verdict in 2022 in favour of the BDA on the issue of compensation. According to the order, the BDA is allowed to pay compensation under the old colonial era Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
Demands
Manjunath Gowda, a farmer from Thammenahalli whose one acre of land has been notified for the project, said compensation under the BDA Act, 1976, was unfair as land losers will receive pittance in return. “After the notification, we have been barred from carrying out partition, sale, and any kind of development. It’s almost 18 years now. I am only allowed to cultivate,” Mr. Gowda said. He further said that if BDA fails to provide compensation under the new Act of 2013, the government should scrap the project and denotify their lands.
‘PRR does not benefit farmers’
Farmers are also of the opinion that the project has no value to them as they are only made to sacrifice with no benefits. Farmer Shridhar M. said once the project was implemented, the owners who gave the land for throwaway compensation had to travel on the same road paying a toll. He said over 90% of the farmers want the project to be scrapped. “Though we appreciate the effort of Mr. Shivakumar, none of the farmers are happy with the outcome of the meeting,” he said.
