Opposition to the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Suburban Project intensified on Saturday as farmers from multiple villages in Ramanagara district staged a sit-in protest against the proposed land acquisition, underscoring growing rural resistance to urban expansion on Bengaluru’s periphery.
The protest took place outside the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) office at Kandaya Bhavan, where farmers from Bhairamangala and Kanchugaranahalli gram panchayats gathered to voice concerns over the loss of agricultural land and livelihoods. The demonstration coincided with a grievance redressal meeting convened by Magadi MLA H.C. Balakrishna to hear objections from residents of 26 villages identified for acquisition under the suburban development plan. The Greater Bengaluru Integrated Suburban Project is positioned by the state as a long-term urban decongestion and infrastructure initiative aimed at supporting metropolitan growth. However, farmers argue that the project prioritises urban expansion at the cost of agrarian communities that have depended on the land for generations. Protesters accused the government of initiating the acquisition process without meaningful consultation or consent. Chanting slogans asserting their ownership rights, they demanded the immediate withdrawal of acquisition notices and rejected compensation-based settlements. Several farmers stated that financial packages cannot substitute for agricultural land that forms the basis of their economic security and cultural identity. Attempting to engage with the protesters, MLA Balakrishna acknowledged the concerns but maintained that the project decision rests with the state government.
While assuring farmers that their grievances would be communicated to higher authorities, he made it clear that cancelling the project was beyond his mandate. The response failed to ease tensions, with demonstrators reiterating that the project itself must be scrapped rather than modified. Farmer leaders warned that forced acquisition could trigger wider unrest across the affected region. They stressed that agriculture remains the primary livelihood in these villages and cautioned that displacement would lead to long-term social and economic distress. As tempers rose, police presence was increased and the MLA briefly withdrew from the venue before leaving the premises altogether under security escort. The protest highlights a recurring challenge in Bengaluru’s urban growth strategy: balancing metropolitan expansion with the rights of peri-urban and rural communities. As land availability within the city shrinks, development pressure has increasingly shifted to surrounding districts, often sparking resistance from farmers wary of losing productive land to real estate and infrastructure projects.
Urban policy experts note that without transparent planning, fair consultation mechanisms, and livelihood transition frameworks, suburban development initiatives risk prolonged delays and social conflict. With farmers vowing to intensify agitation if acquisition proceeds, the state government now faces mounting pressure to revisit its engagement strategy and clarify the future of the project amid rising grassroots opposition.
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