Bengaluru, June 20 (IANS) Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday locked horns over the proposed Bidadi Township project, trading accusations over its origins, implementation and the acquisition of agricultural land for industrial development.

While Shivakumar described Kumaraswamy as the “architect” of the project and accused him of changing his stand, the Union Minister defended his opposition to the current proposal, saying that fertile agricultural land should not be acquired and questioned the long-term benefits of compensation being offered to farmers.

Addressing reporters after the Cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha, Chief Minister Shivakumar said farmers in the Bidadi region were being misled and added that Kumaraswamy himself had earlier backed the township proposal.

“The farmers of Bidadi are good people, but they are being misled. Isn’t Kumaraswamy the architect of this project? He himself has admitted it,” the Chief Minister added.

He noted that Kumaraswamy had earlier proposed providing farmers with 40 per cent of the developed land as compensation, whereas the current Karnataka government had increased that share to 50 per cent.

“We have assured farmers that they will receive 50 per cent of the developed land. The process of disbursing compensation at the rate of Rs 2.5 crore per acre commenced on Friday,” he said.

Shivakumar added that the township project was not a fresh initiative of the Congress government.

According to the Chief Minister, the project was originally notified during Kumaraswamy’s tenure as the Chief Minister and later continued under former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

“Kumaraswamy issued the notification for the project. Yediyurappa continued it. We are only taking the project further; we have not initiated anything new,” Shivakumar said.

Questioning Kumaraswamy’s criticism, Chief Minister Shivakumar asked why the former Chief Minister had declared the Bidadi region a “red zone” and issued the original notification if he now opposed the project.

“He (H.D. Kumaraswamy) should first explain why he declared the area a red zone and why he issued the notification. Yediyurappa also had an opportunity to de-notify the land when he was Chief Minister. Why did he not do so?” he asked.

The Chief Minister accused the opposition parties of politicising the issue while simultaneously demanding industrial development in the state.

“The Opposition is opposing this for political reasons. They say new industries should be brought to the state. Even the Union Minister for Heavy Industries (H.D. Kumarsswamy) has asked where the land should be acquired from for such projects. Under these circumstances, I am not prepared to de-notify the Bidadi land and land myself in legal trouble,” he said.

Shivakumar also claimed that nearly 80 per cent of farmers had voluntarily agreed to part with their land and said the state government would proceed in accordance with the law.

Responding to Kumaraswamy’s recent remarks that the issue could trigger a “blood revolution”, the Chief Minister said Union Minister Kumaraswamy should explain where and how industries could be established without land acquisition.

Earlier on Saturday, Kumaraswamy defended his position, saying that the Bidadi Township issue had already been debated extensively in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly during his tenure as the former Chief Minister.

He said the proposal was part of a larger plan to establish five townships across Karnataka and recalled that the Congress had formed a fact-finding committee to examine the project at the time.

“The Bidadi Township issue was discussed in detail in the Assembly. My position as Chief Minister is on record. I had clearly stated that not even an inch of fertile agricultural land would be acquired for the project,” Kumaraswamy added.

The Union Minister announced that he would hold a detailed press conference in the coming days to present documents and explain his position on the issue.

Taking a swipe at his critics, Kumaraswamy alleged that several leaders who had once opposed the township proposal alongside him had changed their stance after joining different political parties.

“Those who were with me and opposed the project then are today in different parties and have changed their stand,” he said.

Kumaraswamy also questioned the manner in which compensation was being distributed to landowners, saying that such responsibilities should rest with land acquisition officers and district authorities rather than elected representatives.

“There are designated land acquisition officers and district officials responsible for issuing compensation cheques. Some landowners have accepted the cheques, but the question is how long that money will last,” he said.

The Union Minister added that compensation payments could not match the long-term value of agricultural land.

Citing an example, he said that a compensation cheque of Rs 2.30 crore may provide limited returns compared to the appreciation in land value over time.

“If Rs 2.30 crore is placed in a fixed deposit for 20 years, the interest earned may not exceed around Rs 40 lakh. But if the land is retained, its value could appreciate to nearly Rs 20 crore over the same period,” Kumaraswamy said.

The exchange marks the latest political confrontation over the Bidadi Township project, with the ruling Congress government defending the acquisition process as necessary for industrial development while the Opposition raises concerns about the impact on farmers and agricultural land.

–IANS

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