Bidadi farmers write petition PM Modi to halt township project

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 24, 2026: Farmers from 26 villages in Bidadi have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and halt the proposed township project, alleging that their ancestral agricultural lands are being forcibly acquired.

In a representation submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office, S. Ravikumar, president of Bidadi Geleyara Balaga, a 34-year-old social trust, said affected families had been staging peaceful protests for more than 570 days to protect their land and livelihoods.

The farmers alleged that the state government was misleading the public by claiming that there was widespread consent for the land acquisition. According to the representation, most families actively engaged in farming opposed the project, while only a few absentee landowners had agreed to surrender their land.

“Regrettably, neither the Chief Minister nor the local MLA has shown the courtesy to meet the protesting farmers or visit the area to understand the ground reality. Instead, they are making untruthful statements that there are no farmers in this area,” Ravikumar said.

Questioning the acquisition of scattered parcels of land, the farmers alleged that the move served vested real estate interests rather than a genuine public purpose. They also pointed to vacant sites in existing Bangalore Development Authority layouts, including Sir M. Visvesvaraya Layout, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout and Dr K. Shivaram Karanth Layout.

Another farmer alleged that the government was acquiring land from only a few landowners and releasing compensation to them despite claiming widespread willingness to part with land.

“How can any township project be implemented with only a small portion of land in scattered pockets?” the farmer questioned, alleging that the move reflected vested real estate interests at the expense of farming communities.

Farmers Raise Ecological and Economic Concerns

The representation described the Bidadi region as an important agricultural and ecological resource for Bengaluru. Citing records from local milk cooperative societies and government departments, the farmers claimed that the region supported between 80,000 and one lakh cattle, generated more than Rs 31.9 crore annually through mulberry cultivation, and sustained significant tree cover and wildlife.

They warned that the proposed acquisition could adversely affect dairy farming, sericulture and food production in the region.

The appeal follows the findings of an independent citizens’ jury headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice V. Gopala Gowda, which examined the proposed land acquisition during a public hearing.

The panel included agricultural expert Prof. T. N. Prakash Kammardi, sociologist Prof. A. R. Vasavi and senior journalist D. Umapathy.

The jury concluded that the acquisition under the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities Act, 1987, was “without authority of law and void ab initio”.

The report cited alleged procedural and legal deficiencies, including the absence of an approved development scheme, mandatory social impact assessments and environmental clearances.