Mandya (Karnataka), Nov 6 (IANS) Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has lashed out at the Congress-led Karnataka government, accusing it of attempting to “loot the fertile lands of farmers” under the guise of the proposed Bidadi Township Project on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Addressing the media after the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Mandya, Kumaraswamy appealed to farmers, saying, “Not a single inch of land should be given up. Farmers should not be afraid — I am with you.”

He said that farmers have been protesting against the Bidadi Township Project for the past two months, day and night. “Instead of listening to their grievances, this government is dancing to the tunes of real estate lobbies,” he alleged.

Kumaraswamy also objected to claims that the township project was his idea. “Don’t try to take shelter in my name. The decision taken during my tenure as Chief Minister was different. Land prices were not this high then. Today, land rates have skyrocketed. The government now wants to acquire 9,000 acres of fertile land for this township — farmers are opposed to it, and I stand firmly with them,” he declared.

The Union Minister pointed out that the proposed project area includes land around Eagleton Golf Club, which had encroached on government (karab) land. “In 2018, during my tenure, a penalty was imposed on Eagleton calculated per square foot of encroached land,” he said.

“At that time, the current Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, had visited the club, and the staff had given him a bill for Rs 98,000. Enraged by this, Shivakumar ensured that the cabinet decided to fine the club Rs 984 crore for 70 acres — that’s Rs 13 crore per acre,” Kumaraswamy stated.

“Now, the same leaders who fixed that rate should pay farmers three times that amount in compensation,” he demanded.

Taking a dig at the Deputy CM, Kumaraswamy said, “When you built a milk dairy in Kanakapura earlier, how much did you pay those farmers? How much compensation did you give your own people? Even your officials admit that there is plenty of dry, barren land in that region. Why not build the township there?”

He added, “There’s enough dry land across the state. Why target Bidadi’s fertile, irrigated soil? Your intention is not to uplift the people of Bidadi — it’s to uplift yourselves through this project. You don’t even have the funds to pay proper compensation for acquired land. Build the township in dry areas if you must — who will object? But don’t evict farmers from lands that are best suited for cultivation.”

Reiterating his solidarity, he assured, “Farmers must not yield to pressure or fear. I stand firmly with them.”

Expressing deep concern over the ongoing protests by sugarcane farmers demanding fair prices, Kumaraswamy recalled his earlier tenure as Chief Minister. “At that time, farmers weren’t even able to sell their sugarcane. I personally visited villages and saw cane drying in the fields. Then, my government waived Rs 25,000 crore in farm loans, gave Rs 25,000 per farmer as assistance where sugarcane couldn’t be sold, and extended a total of Rs 250 crore to sugarcane growers. I even called farmers to Vidhana Soudha and held talks with them,” he said.

“Even without a full majority, I worked hard to protect farmers’ interests. With 136 seats, this government calls itself strong — but look at them now. They’ve left farmers sleeping on the roads for seven days,” Kumaraswamy said.

“If they truly cared for farmers, would they allow this to happen? Just yesterday, the Chief Minister toured the same region — yet he didn’t visit the protest site. He attended MLA Meti’s funeral, just a short distance away — could he not have gone to meet the protesting farmers?” he questioned.

“They say they’ll hold a big rally in the name of Ahinda — for what purpose?” he asked sarcastically.

“When farmers demand price fixation, they say, ‘That’s the Centre’s responsibility.’ When I waived loans, did I run to the Central Government for funds? But they mix politics into everything and accuse us,” he said.

“I may not have gone to the protest site, but that doesn’t mean we’re against farmers. We’re watching the government’s actions closely and will decide our next step accordingly. The Congress-led government is toying with the lives of farmers,” the Union Minister charged.

–IANS

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