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BENGALURU
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda on Monday joined the second day of the party’s padayatra against the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project near Bidadi.
The 93-year-old leader joined the march at BGS Circle in Bidadi, along with Karnataka Assembly Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka. Protesters raised slogans including “Our land, our right” and accused the government of favouring real-estate interests while suppressing farmers through alleged false cases.
“Our land, our right,” protesters shouted during the march, opposing acquisition for the proposed township.
The three-day padayatra, led by JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, began at Byramangala on Sunday and is expected to cover around 40 km before reaching Freedom Park in Bengaluru. The BJP is supporting the protest.
The government has constituted a high-level committee headed by retired High Court judge Justice Guhanathan Narendra to examine concerns surrounding the project.
The proposed township has been projected as India’s first artificial-intelligence-based integrated township. The government has issued final notifications in two phases to acquire more than 5,400 acres across seven villages.
Bidadi Township Protest
The government recently increased compensation for farmers whose land is being acquired for the township to more than ₹3 crore an acre. The decision came amid continued protests by farmers and residents. The government has also begun compensating landowners who agreed to surrender their land. A high-level committee headed by retired High Court judge Justice Guhanathan Narendra is examining objections and concerns over the project.