K’taka: Kumaraswamy slams Cong govt over Bidadi Township Project, backs farmers
Mandya, Karnataka – Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy fired back at the Congress‑led Karnataka government today, saying the state is trying to “loot the fertile lands of farmers” through the proposed Bidadi Township Project near Bengaluru.
Speaking to the media after a district development meeting, Kumaraswamy urged farmers to stand firm. “No inch of land should be given up,” he said. “Don’t fear – I’m with you.”
The minister slammed two months of farmer protests, claiming the government is chasing real‑estate interests instead of listening to the people. He also denied that the township idea came from him, saying his own administration had not planned to acquire the 9,000 acres that the latest proposal demands.
Kumaraswamy highlighted the area around Eagleton Golf Club, which he said had cut into government land. In 2018 he fined the club ₹984 crore for 70 acres of encroachment – roughly ₹13 crore per acre. “The leaders who set that rate should now pay farmers three times that for compensation,” the minister said.
He questioned Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s decisions, asking how much was paid for a dairy built in Kanakapura. “There’s plenty of dry, barren land in that part of the state,” he noted. “Why target Bidadi’s fertile, irrigated fields? Build the township elsewhere if the government can’t pay proper compensation.”
Kumaraswamy reminded reporters of his earlier tenure as chief minister. In 2016, farmers in the region couldn’t sell sugarcane, and his government cut ₹25 billion in farm loans and paid ₹25 000 to each farmer who couldn’t sell their crop. He visited villages and met the farmers, he said.
“Even with a slim majority of 136 seats, we didn’t let farmers end up sleeping on the road for a week,” he complained.
He criticized the current government for not visiting protest sites and for hosting a rally under the “Ahinda” banner, calling the whole affair political. “When farmers ask for price fixes, they say it’s the central government’s job,” the minister said.
Kumaraswamy said the union‑level opposition is watching closely and will decide whether to stay behind or take action.
Keywords: Karnataka farmers, Bidadi Township Project, land acquisition, government protests, Union Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, Eagleton Golf Club, farmer protests, sugarcane farmers.
Source: ianslive
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