Bidadi Farmers Dispute GBDA Claims of 90 Percent Consent for Township

A major dispute has emerged over land acquisition for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project, as local farmers in Kempayyanapalya, Mandalahalli, and Vaderahalli villages near Bidadi, Bengaluru, have accused the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) of rigging consent data.

Last month, the GBDA issued a final notification to acquire 519 acres of land across these three villages. The authority claimed that more than 90 percent of the landowners had consented to part with their properties. However, local landowners and farmer representatives have strongly refuted these figures, alleging that the data has been manipulated to weaken their ongoing protests.

According to the GBDA's official records, 357 out of 367 landowners in Kempayyanapalya have consented to the acquisition. In Mandalahalli, the authority claims 23 out of 26 landowners agreed, while in Vaderahalli, 53 out of 63 landowners reportedly gave their consent.

Nagaraju M.R., a landowner in Mandalahalli, dismissed these statistics. He stated that seven members of his family own a combined 36 acres in Mandalahalli, and none of them have consented to the project. He questioned how the GBDA could claim such high consent rates when more than 60 percent of the village's land is owned by his non-consenting family.

Yashavantha T., State general secretary of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), also accused the GBDA of trying to break the resolve of the protesting farmers. He alleged that the administration has used various tactics, including distributing initial compensation cheques through the local MLA, H.C. Balakrishna.

In response, a senior GBDA official stated that many farmers who consented to the project are remaining silent publicly due to pressure from protesters. The official admitted that the GBDA's records are currently based on verbal consent rather than written agreements, and neither side has presented written proof of their claims.

The official added that the GBDA has already released ₹150 crore in compensation. So far, 92 people have chosen cash compensation, 25 have opted for land, and 10 have selected a combination of both. Meanwhile, the draft final notification for another three villages has been sent to the government for approval.