Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the Legislative Council meeting in Bengaluru. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
The state government is considering providing cash compensation in lieu of rehabilitation to families likely to be displaced under the third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP-III), Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said in the Legislative Council on Thursday.
Responding to a proposal raised by BJP member Hanumantha Nirani to provide additional basic facilities and rehabilitation to project-affected families, Mr. Shivakumar said the government was concerned about the plight of people displaced by the project.
He said that after acquiring land for the project, some landowners approached the courts, which ordered compensation of about ₹ 13 to ₹ 14 crore per acre in certain cases. Since it was not possible for the government to pay such a high amount, the state recently decided to provide compensation of around ₹30-40 crore per acre, he said.
“Instead of providing rehabilitation to each family, we are examining the possibility of providing monetary compensation. The decision will be taken after meeting with representatives of the public and other interested parties,” the minister said.
He added that the government is working on an alternative policy instead of rehabilitating and relocating villages that would be submerged in the stagnant waters of the Almatti reservoir under the project.
24 rehabilitation centers
Mr. Shivakumar said that under the existing plan, it was proposed to build 24 rehabilitation centers to provide basic amenities to the people of 20 villages affected by the submergence.
According to the new land acquisition rules, construction work was going on in eight rehabilitation centers, he said. However, land acquisition for two centers – Kundargi and Bavalatti – was declared invalid by the court, while land acquisition for the remaining 13 centers was in various stages.
BJP members PH Pujar and Hanumantha Nirani had earlier said that several rehabilitation centers set up during the first two phases of the project lacked basic amenities such as proper roads, drinking water supply, sewerage, street lights and land for burial grounds.
They pointed out that the delay in the implementation of the third phase has left residents in the affected villages in a state of uncertainty, preventing them from repairing their homes. Schools were not receiving adequate subsidies and compensation was yet to be paid, they said, calling on the government to address the issues as soon as possible.
AP objects
Following the Andhra Pradesh government’s opposition to Karnataka’s proposal to raise the height of the Almatti Dam to facilitate the completion of the third phase of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), Mr Shivakumar said he would travel to New Delhi next Tuesday along with Minister HK Patil to discuss the issue with the relevant authorities.
The Andhra Pradesh government has sent objections to the implementation of the UKP-III phase to the Union government, stating that the storage level of the Almatti Dam should not be increased and that no further land acquisition or project work should be carried out.
Published – 12 March 2026 20:44 IST
