Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the acquisition of land for Dr. Shivaram Karanth layout will be done within the framework set by the Supreme Court, and that efforts would be made to provide fair compensation to farmers who lose land.
“I will convene a meeting of political representatives and the Supreme Court-appointed committee to find an amicable solution,” Mr. Bommai the Legislative Council after Congress Chief Whip M. Narayanaswamy raised the farmers’ plight due to acquisition process.
“It is a multi-dimensional issue, but we cannot exceed the Supreme Court order that has clarified that farmers are not eligible to receive compensation under the 2013 land acquisition Act. We are also aware that the layout will have to be developed on available land,” said the Chief Minister. He acknowledged the lack of a transparent land policy to acquire land in rural areas.
About 3,500 acres in Bengaluru North taluk has been sought to be acquired for the formation of the layout by BDA. Though the acquisition process was initiated in 2003, it has been stuck in a legal quagmire over the quantum of compensation. Several buildings have come up in the area sought to be acquired.
Earlier, Mr. Narayanaswamy drew the attention of the Chief Minister to the ongoing dharna by farmers. He said that there was no need to acquire existing homes and demolish them. “When the market rate per acre is about ₹6 crore, farmers are being offered old rates that were very low,” he said.