DK Shivakumar responds to Deve Gowda's letter

Mysuru

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has responded to a letter from former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, requesting the abandonment of land acquisition for the Bidadi Township. In his reply, Shivakumar emphasized that the decision to create seven townships, including Bidadi, was made when HD Kumaraswamy, Gowda's son, was the Chief Minister. Rs. 300 crore had been allocated for the project, but the BJP government later returned the funds, claiming the project could not proceed.

Shivakumar also recalled his past experiences, stating, “I faced allegations of money laundering when I denotified land in the past. I went to court and jail for it. I won’t repeat this.” He firmly stated that he would not denotify land and vowed to develop Greater Bangalore, showcasing it as a model city for the nation.

Addressing Gowda’s letter, Shivakumar pointed out that such decisions were made during both Gowda and Kumaraswamy’s tenure. He questioned why the land acquisition was not abandoned earlier under their leadership. Shivakumar further assured that farmers who provided land would be compensated or receive developed land in return, stressing that politics should not interfere with development projects.