Township survey turns violent as farmers clash with officials near Bengaluru
A land survey for the proposed Bidadi Township project in Karnataka turned violent on Monday after farmers opposed the exercise, alleging it was being carried
A land survey for the proposed Bidadi Township project in Karnataka turned violent on Monday after farmers opposed the exercise, alleging it was being carried out without their consent. The confrontation began when officials of the Joint Measurement Committee (JMC), accompanied by police personnel, arrived to conduct a land survey in the area. Farmers gathered in large numbers and blocked the exercise, insisting that no survey would be allowed without their approval. Read Full Story The protest soon escalated into a heated face-off, with demonstrators surrounding the officials and demanding that they leave the site. Despite attempts by police to calm the crowd, tensions continued to rise. Visuals from the scene showed protesters allegedly damaging an official vehicle and hitting it with sticks as police tried to prevent further violence.
The farmers remained firm in their opposition, saying they would not allow the survey to proceed under any circumstances. Police continued efforts to bring the situation under control. JD(S) LEADER SLAMS KARNATAKA GOVT Reacting to the incident, JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy accused the Congress government of acting in a "dictatorial" manner by conducting the survey without informing or taking the consent of farmers. "I strongly condemn the State government's dictatorial move to conduct a JMC survey for the Bidadi Township project without any prior information or farmers' consent," he posted on X. Calling the government "anti-farmer", he alleged that it was using brute force to push the project through and demanded the immediate release of detained farmers.
He also urged the government to scrap the proposed Bidadi Township project. WHAT IS BIDADI TOWNSHIP PROJECT? The proposed Rs 18,000 crore Bidadi Township has emerged as a major political flashpoint in Karnataka. The Congress government says the project is essential to decongest Bengaluru and meet the city's future urban expansion needs, while the BJP and JD(S) have criticised it as an assault on fertile agricultural land and farmers' livelihoods. According to reports, the project is expected to span 7,481 acres across nine villages, with a recent notification believed to be the first in a series of land acquisition notices. The Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) has also floated a Rs 26-crore tender to appoint a consultant for preparing the master plan, Detailed Project Report (DPR) and project management services for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT).
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