Devanahalli land row: Karnataka govt drops acquisition of 1,777 acres of agriculture land

Mr. Jindal
3 Min Read

Representatives of some farmers’ organisations met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to offer 449 acres for the aerospace park, and requested fair and appropriate price for the land, on July 12, 2025.

Representatives of some farmers’ organisations met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to offer 449 acres for the aerospace park, and requested fair and appropriate price for the land, on July 12, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In a significant development, Karnataka government has dropped the process of acquisition of 1,777 acres of land in 13 villages of Devanahalli taluk for an aerospace park following resistance by farmers. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with representatives of farmers in Bengaluru on July 15, announced shelving of the land acquisition process. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement as the farmers’ protest entered the 1,198th day on July 15.

However, the Chief Minister has made it clear that the government would acquire property of those farmers who have volunteered to give up their land for the project, by offering higher prices and sops, like part of developed land. 

The Chief Minister said that there was now a possibility of industrialists, who wanted to set up their establishments in the proposed park, going to neighbouring States. Even then, the government had decided to shelve the land acquisition process in the interest of farmers who were keen that their land should not be acquired, he said. 

The farmers of Devanahalli taluk were protesting for the last 1,198 days in Channarayapatna demanding withdrawal of the land acquisition process. Pointing out that their land is fertile, and they are earning remunerative prices for their crops due to proximity to markets in Bengaluru, they had questioned the logic of acquiring fertile land for industrial development. 

Their protest had become a broad-based one with various progressive organisations lending their support, and warning the government of launching a statewide protest if their demands were ignored. In response, the Chief Minister met their representatives in the first week of July and sought some time to examine the legal issues involved. The final meeting (to decide on the issue) took place on July 15. 

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