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Farmers in Devanahalli are warning of a looming crisis as the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) moves to acquire hundreds of acres of fertile land, despite a government promise to end compulsory land acquisition. Officials, relying on an old notification, have identified 439 acres and 32 guntas in Hyadala and Gokere Bachenahalli villages for acquisition, issuing notices to 79 farmers on August 29. The Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committee has strongly opposed the move.
Farmers allege that the KIADB has become Bengaluru-centric, acting more like a brokerage agency than a development authority. Progressive organisations and Devanahalli residents question why industrial projects are being concentrated in Bengaluru, arguing that the city is already overdeveloped, while other districts are neglected. The decision has sparked widespread anger against KIADB and the state government.
KIADB officials had scheduled a price-fixation meeting for September 6 following a notice on September 4, but the meeting was cancelled after strong protests by farmers.
Earlier, on July 15, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had publicly stated that the government would abandon land acquisition and take land only if farmers offered it voluntarily.
However, the government has not officially cancelled the old notification or issued a fresh order.
Of the 1,777.28 acres identified under the old notification, details are available for 1,293.3 acres. Of this, 42% had been granted by the government to the landless and to cultivators, while the remaining 58% was inherited or purchased property. Among these, 69% belong to backward and most backward communities, 29% to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and only 2% to general category farmers, according to Ramesh Cheemachanahalli, a farmer and leader of the Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committee.
This process would render 386 families completely landless, affecting 2,989 people. This includes 162 Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe families (859 people) and 224 Backward Class families (2,130 people). Farmers fear that if their land is taken, the compensation money will not last long, as a portion goes into bribes and the rest is quickly spent. Eventually, they will be left without land, livelihood, or security. “There are already many examples of this tragedy,” said Suresh from Hyadala.
Of all the land identified by KIADB in these villages, farmers have voluntarily offered only 69 acres and 6 guntas.
Farmers also allege forgery in the process. For instance, two acres of government land were included in the notification, and fake signatures were taken from four farmers claiming they would sell their land. One such case involved Lagumayya of Hyadala, whose land (Survey No. 70/2) was shown as offered for sale. On discovering this, Lagumayya lodged a formal complaint with the KIADB CEO.
In 2021, the government had denotified 1,777.28 acres under Section 28(2) of the KIADB Act. But since then, no government programme to support agriculture has been introduced for farmers in the region.
The land is fertile and has good irrigation facilities. However, due to a lack of financial support, health expenses, and other family issues, farmers are forced into debt, said Muniraju of Channarayapatna.
In Hyadala and Gokere Bachenahalli, many Scheduled Caste farmers had sold nearly 60 acres to a corporate company seven to eight years ago. Agreements and GPAs were signed, but pani (mutation) and podi (subdivision) were not done. Because of this, under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978 (PTCL Act), they can reclaim the land.
The PTCL Act was enacted to protect land granted to SC/ST communities. Under this law, such land cannot be sold, leased, mortgaged, or transferred. Any such transaction is void, and the land must be restored to the original SC/ST owner. The Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner has the authority to act, and although there is no strict time limit, courts have directed that petitions must be filed within a “reasonable time.”
As many farmers are unaware of the nature of this law, middlemen are misusing this law. Farmers are told to sign agreements quickly as they are told that court cases under the PTCL Act will take years to resolve, but if they sell to the KIADB, then they will be able to get their money quickly. Many Scheduled Caste and Tribe farmers, with small holdings of less than three acres (some even less than one acre), are falling into this trap, said Srinivas of Karahalli.
The unanimous opinion of the Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committee is that KIADB should not acquire farmers’ land and must return land to its rightful owners.
A few small farmers have shown willingness to sell because they are struggling with debts, lack of agricultural support, and mounting family responsibilities. For them, selling land seems the only way out of the crisis. But many others are firm: “Our lives depend on this land, not on compensation. We will never sell our land under any circumstance,” said Mukund of Devanahalli.
For farmers, land is their only source of security and dignity. Losing it means losing their future, said Pramod of Polanahalli, a leader of the Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committee.
Farmers point out that the government has already acquired thousands of acres of fertile land for the Devanahalli airport, Aerospace SEZ, and Aeronautical Defence projects (Phase 1 and 2).
