Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha will take out a ‘Bidadi Chalo’ march on July 11 to protest the state government’s proposed acquisition of agricultural land for the Bidadi Township Project, Sangha leader KT Gangadhar said on Monday, July 6.
Addressing a press conference in Shivamogga, Gangadhar alleged that the government was acquiring fertile agricultural land in the name of development, leaving farmers vulnerable. He said the Raitha Sangha would support farmers opposing the land acquisition process.
“The government should work towards making agriculture a profitable profession instead of acquiring land and forcing farmers to become landless,” he said.
Gangadhar also criticised the township project, saying it would result in the expansion of concrete structures and adversely affect the region’s environment and quality of life.
He said various organisations supporting farmers would join the protest. The march would oppose the notifications to acquire 7,481 acres in Bidadi and 2,800 acres in Jangamanakatte for industrial projects, he added.
The proposed township project has faced opposition from farmers for over a year. First proposed in 2006 under the JD(S)-BJP coalition government headed by then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the project involved earmarking thousands of acres around Bidadi for a satellite township and notifying the area as a red zone. The move effectively restricted development, with landowners unable to construct buildings or freely transact their properties.
The project remained stalled after the coalition government collapsed and was revived periodically under successive governments. In 2023, the executing agency was upgraded to the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA). The Karnataka Cabinet approved the rebranded project in February 2025, followed by fresh acquisition notices to farmers in March 2025.
Last month, the state government issued a final notification to acquire 518 acres across three villages in the first phase of the proposed 9,600-acre Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT). The larger acquisition plan covers nine revenue villages and 16 non-revenue villages, with the government pitching the project as India’s first AI-powered city.
