Karnataka farmers oppose land acquisition, burn survey team’s drone, laptops
Farmers in Handenahalli village in Bengaluru Urban district have refused to give up their land to KIADB for an industrial area and say they will thwart any survey attempts in future;
Protests broke out in Handenahalli village in Bengaluru Urban district’s Anekal taluk against land acquisition by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) with farmers on Tuesday (December 31) allegedly seizing and burning the survey team’s drone and laptops.
Farmers refuse to give up land
The incident occurred when representatives from a private firm arrived to survey land intended for an industrial area. The KIADB had recently issued a preliminary notification for acquiring over 700 acres in Handenahalli and Medahalli villages. Farmers, opposing the conversion of their agricultural land, intercepted the survey team, confiscated their equipment, and set it on fire, sources said. They declared their determination to protect their land at any cost, refusing to seek political intervention and vowing not to relinquish an inch of their land.
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KIADB ruining fertile land, allege farmers
Farmer leader Chandrappa Reddy expressed dissatisfaction, accusing KIADB of attempting to conduct surveys in a secret manner and ruining fertile land. He criticised politicians for not addressing farmers' issues and called for an end to political theatrics.
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The protest saw participation of farmer leaders like Keshava Reddy, Nagesh, Ambarish, Muniyappa, and Srinivas Reddy. The farmers' committee against land acquisition in Anekal taluk voiced their anger, emphasising their readiness to defend their land against any survey attempts.