Farmer groups demand withdrawal of Bidadi township project, oppose acquisition of 9,640 acres

Activists say the region functions as an important agricultural belt supplying milk, fruits, vegetables and other staples to Bengaluru | Photo credit: File photo

Samyukta Horata – Karnataka, a coalition of farmers, labourers, Dalits and student groups, on Monday demanded that the Karnataka government immediately withdraw the proposed Bidadi Integrated Satellite District project and cancel the ongoing land acquisition process for nearly 9,640 acres in Ramanagara district, alleging that the project will destroy fertile agricultural land and endanger thousands of farmers.

Leaders of the organization, along with affected farmers, said the project was “anti-farmer” and environmentally destructive. The land earmarked for acquisition is spread over 25 villages falling under Byramangala and Kanchugaranahalli gram panchayat limits in Bidadi hobli of Ramanagara district. The area includes irrigated agricultural land and horticultural plantations where crops such as coconut, arecanut, banana and mango are grown, farmers said.

Activists said the region functions as an important agricultural belt that supplies milk, fruits, vegetables and other staples to Bengaluru. They claimed that several farming families in the area have adopted mixed cropping systems and set up small-scale industries linked to agriculture, including arecanut slivers units, helping them sustain their livelihoods.

“The government cannot destroy such a sustainable rural economy through forced and unfair land acquisition,” the farmers’ representatives said.

The organization claimed that more than 3,500 small and marginal farmers had already filed written objections against the acquisition soon after the government issued a preliminary notification regarding the Bidadi Integrated Satellite Town project.

However, the protesters alleged that the state government did not consider or listen to the objections raised by the farmers. They said farmers in the region have been protesting against the project in various forms for the past one-and-a-half years and have continued an indefinite dharna for more than 428 days. Despite a long agitation, they alleged that the government approved the project without consulting the affected families.

Samyukta Horata – Karnataka called the move “authoritarian” and a violation of democratic rights and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop the acquisition process immediately.

Badagalapura Nagendra, a farmer leader, said Bengaluru had already suffered due to uncontrolled urban expansion, with agricultural land being converted into flats and housing complexes lacking adequate infrastructure. He claimed that several residential projects and sites in and around Bengaluru remained vacant for years while the city continued to face rising temperatures and environmental stress. He urged environmentalists, writers, politicians and citizens to oppose projects that would further exacerbate the environmental damage around Bengaluru.

Published – 18 May 2026 21:09 IST