MYSURU: Several landowners have opposed land acquisition process initiated by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to expand Kellambali- Badanaguppe industrial area in Chamarajanagar district.
Though there are no objections to acquiring arid land, they are opposing the acquisition of fertile agricultural land.
KIADB had initiated the process for the second phase of the land acquisition of 1,189 acres for expansion of Kellambali-Badanaguppe Industrial Area in Chamarajanagar district.
As many as 13 land owners of Melajipura village located close to Badanaguppe- Kellamballi Industrial Area have requested the state major industries minister Murugesh Nirani through local Chamarajanagar district administration to stop the land acquisition process notification issued by the state government on last January 29 for acquisition of land for second phase of industrial area development.
State had issued the notification to acquire the land from villagers of Kallahalli, Melajipura and Mariyala village located close to Badanaguppe – Kellamballi area. KIADB had identified 599.1 acres of land near Kellamballi, 589.3 acres of land in Badanaguppe surroundings, and issued the notice to farmers to file objections for the acquisition process. KIADB had issued notices to 671 families to file objections, and several farmers growing arecanut, coconut, turmeric, sugar cane and other crops in Mariyala, Melajipura villages filed objections against the KIADB notification of acquiring fertile land.
The fear the land acquisition process may force several farmers to migrate to cities in search of jobs to eke out their livelihood, said Mariswamy, vice president of Chamarajanagar unit of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.
As water filling projects to lakes and ponds appeared as a boon to farmers, groundwater table had improved and farmers of the region had cultivated various crops.
In the first phase of industrial area development, the government had offered Rs 20 lakh per acres of land for farmers, but now it may increase as land prices have jumped up. Nearly 80% of the land KIADB had issued notification to acquire in the second phase of industrial expansion is arid land,” a KIADB officer told TOI.
Speaking to TOI, Chamarajanagar deputy commissioner Charulatha Somal said the district administration will not intervene in KIADB’s process of acquisition of land as the issue does not come under its purview. “Instructions have been given to local tahsildar to check the status of availability of government land and the land allotted to farmers under Akrama Sakrama and other schemes,” she said.
