Rakesh Tikait Warns Bihar State Government Against Satellite Township Projects
Bharatiya Kishan Union President Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday (Oct 07, 2026) raised questions over satellite township projects in Bihar, asserting that the Union will not allow land and farmers’ rights to be compromised in the name of development.
The Government of Bihar has prepared a plan for 11 satellite municipalities in 10 districts of Bihar. These townships will contain planned residential colonies, designated commercial areas, wide roads and green spaces with plantations along roads and in parks.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Mr. Tikait said that a review of this entire model suggests that if transparency, social impact assessment, fair compensation, rehabilitation and farmers’ consent are not ensured in time, it could lead to large-scale transfer of agricultural land and promotion of land speculation under the guise of development.
He argued that the Union was not against development; however, development that comes at the cost of farmers losing their land, livelihood and social security cannot be accepted.
The Bihar government has announced plans to develop large satellite towns in Patna, Darbhanga, Saran, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Purnia, Sitamarhi, Munger and Saharsa.
He pointed out that there are several significant objections in the Bihar Urban Development Act, 2026 and the Act proposes to grant excessive powers for the establishment, development, control and management of cities.
“How will the new law preserve the protective provisions – relating to farmers’ interests, social impact assessment, consent, rehabilitation and compensation – that already exist under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act, 2013) and the Bihar Fair Land Acquisition and Reclamation Rules, 2014,” asked Mr Tikait.
He added: “Farmers’ land cannot be seen only as land for urban development; for farmers, land is not just an asset, but a source of livelihood, social security and economic foundation for future generations.”
Pooling of land
Mr. Tikait mentioned that there are several issues surrounding the land pooling system, while the proposal involves acquiring farmers’ land and returning part of it to the developed state.
He asked on what basis the returned land would be valued and what would be the location and quality of the land allotted to the farmers. He also asked what rights the farmer would have to this land. He added that in any land pooling arrangement, the farmer should be treated not just as a provider of land but as a true partner in the development process.
Mr. Tikait argued that the law lacks a clear formula or specific mention regarding compensation in exchange for land. He also pointed out that the new law does not include social audits or social impact assessments.
“If the government wants to modernize Bihar, it is welcome to do so. But a modern Bihar cannot mean making available fertile village land for big real estate projects. If agricultural land is gradually converted into real estate markets under the guise of satellite towns, farmers and rural society will bear the biggest losses,” Tikait said.
He informed that during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, a large number of people returned from the cities to their villages, where the village and the land served as the basis of security.
Key requirements
He demanded that the Bihar Urban Development Act, 2026 be repealed and that social impact assessment and social audits be made mandatory for every project.
He called for refraining from diluting the farmer-friendly provisions of the RFCTLARR Act, 2013 in terms of land acquisition and compensation. Also provide legal guarantees for land, its value and farmers’ rights under land pooling schemes.
“A transparent pricing mechanism should be put in place to bridge the gap between circular rates and actual market values. Information regarding all proposals, areas, master plans and land use details related to satellite municipalities should be made public,” Tikait added.
He warned that if these demands were not met within a month, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and all farmers’ organizations in Bihar would organize a massive farmers’ march in Patna in November 2026, where farmers would stage a protest sit-in until the bill was withdrawn.
Published – 8 Oct 2026 03:01 IST