The Karnataka government has decided to allot compensation sites to 1,453 farmers who gave up land for the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, with the beneficiaries expected to receive plots within the next two months, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said on Thursday.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The sites will be allotted in township areas under the NICE company at Varahasandra, Madavara and Gangondahalli, according to the announcement reported after the meeting.
Farmers who lost up to one acre of land for the project will receive a 30×40-square-foot site. Those who gave up one acre or more will be allotted a 40×60-square-foot site. The government will also arrange registration of the sites for the eligible landowners.
Parameshwara said 574 developed sites are already available with NICE. The remaining sites will be identified and divided across areas developed by the company, with the government setting a 60-day deadline to complete allotment and registration for all 1,453 farmers.
The decision follows a long-running dispute over compensation for land acquired for the BMIC project. According to the reported government explanation, a decision to provide township sites in addition to cash compensation had been taken by the land acquisition committee headed by the district commissioner when the framework agreement for the project was being considered. NICE had also agreed to the arrangement, but the provision was not included in the agreement.
The Supreme Court had referred to the issue in an order, stating that the government should take an appropriate decision on providing sites to affected farmers after considering the advantages and disadvantages, Parameshwara said. A cabinet subcommittee examining matters related to the NICE project considered the issue before preparing the proposal approved by the cabinet.
The affected landowners have reportedly been waiting for compensation for roughly two-and-a-half to three decades. The site allotment decision addresses one part of their demands, but it does not settle other disputes concerning the BMIC project.
Parameshwara clarified that Thursday’s cabinet decision was limited to the allotment of compensation sites. He said the cabinet had not immediately discussed demands to take the BMIC project under government control or stop what has been described as illegal toll collection.
The government’s next step is to identify the remaining sites, allot plots according to the land surrendered and complete registration within the announced 60-day period.
