Bidadi Township: Farmers urge chief minister to go ahead with land acquisition

Bengaluru: In a twist to opposition party protests over the proposed Bidadi Township project, a group of farmers Tuesday met chief minister DK Shivakumar and urged him to continue with the land acquisition process.

The delegation, who met Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha, said they were willing to part with their land and sought relief from the restrictions imposed under the Red Zone.

“We want to be freed from the Red Zone. Issue the final notification for land acquisition in Byramangala, Kanchugaranahalli and other villages near Bidadi and help us overcome our problems,” the farmers told Shivakumar.

Shivakumar, who assured the delegation that he would go ahead with the project, said “hundreds” of farmers from Bidadi had met him and expressed similar willingness to part with land for the project.

“They said they are willing to accept part monetary and part land compensation. I will discuss with officials and issue the final notification for the remaining villages,” the CM said.

However, he clarified that the govt will acquire land only from those who voluntarily agree to part with it.

JD(S), meanwhile, lodged a complaint with Srirampura police seeking action against Youth Congress workers for allegedly pasting derogatory and provocative posters at the party’s head office in Bengaluru.

In his complaint, Praveen Kumar SP, JD(S) state general secretary of the legal cell, alleged Youth Congress workers pasted the posters on the compound wall and building between 11pm and midnight Monday.

The posters carried a photograph of Union minister HD Kumaraswamy alongside a rooster and the caption “Hotte Kichchina Sumar Koli” (jealous rooster). The posters also alleged Kumaraswamy, also JD(S) state president, is jealous whenever a member of the Vokkaliga community becomes CM.

Kumar urged police to identify and arrest those responsible for putting up the posters and initiate appropriate legal action.

Source: The Times of India