BJP Protests 500-Acre Land Acquisition for GBIT Near Bengaluru, Slams Congress Govt

Bengaluru, June 17 (PTI) - State BJP President B Y Vijayendra has strongly opposed the Karnataka government’s final notification to acquire nearly 500 acres for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) near Bidadi in Bengaluru South district. He accused Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's government of prioritizing real estate over the welfare of farmers and the poor.

Speaking to reporters, Vijayendra said, “The priority for the Chief Minister and the Congress government is not farmers, but constructing houses for the poor. The Chief Minister, within 24 hours of taking charge, has shown that the priority of this government is real estate.” He demanded that the process initiated to acquire farmers’ land be halted immediately.

The BJP strongly condemned and opposed the government’s move to “forcefully and illegally” take away lands from the farmers under the guise of a township at Bidadi. “The top priority of any government should be to come to the rescue of farmers who are in distress, but it is unfortunate that Bengaluru’s real estate has become the priority for the Chief Minister. So, on behalf of the BJP, I urge the CM to stop being adamant, listen to the issues faced by farmers and not to evict them. I demand that the land acquisition process be immediately dropped,” Vijayendra added.

The final notification has been issued for the acquisition of 499 acres across three villages in Ramanagara and Harohalli taluks for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township, which is among Chief Minister Shivakumar’s ambitious projects. This project is projected as India’s “first AI-powered integrated township” and is expected to cover 7,481 acres across nine villages in the region. The notification issued on Thursday is likely to be the first in a series of land acquisition notifications to be issued in the days ahead.

According to reports, the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) has floated a Rs 26-crore tender to appoint a consultant for preparing the master plan, detailed project report (DPR), and providing project management services for the proposed GBIT.

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders, including Vijayendra, will visit the villages around Bidadi to support the farmers protesting against the township project. Ahead of their visit, critical posters targeting the BJP and JDS(S) were reportedly found at various places near Bidadi.

Responding to the poster campaign against him and opposition leaders, Vijayendra said, “We have a duty to stand by the farmers of the state. We have a responsibility to become the voice of farmers and we are doing it.”