Siddarth Sethia
*Stop the rise in iron prices, Kumaranna*
*I won’t respond to that boy?.
*Let Deve Gowda also join Kumaraswamy for the debate .
*Bidadi Township: Steps to release compensation from the first week of June.
*It was Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda who initiated land acquisition in this area.
*There must be equal justice for all.
*Save as much of your land as possible.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar today said he accepts Kumaraswamy’s challenge for a debate on Bidadi township and asked him to finalize the date and the venue at the earliest.
“I heard that Kumaraswamy has issued a debate challenge regarding the Bidadi Township.I accept his challenge.Three days’ notice is enough for me.
I will be ready whenever the time is fixed.Let him decide the place and time,”the DCM,who is also in charge of Bengaluru Development,said,while addressing a press conference after meeting the farmers from Bidadi at his official residence in Kumara Park.
The farmers who attended the meeting demanded that they be given plots in addition to compensation.After listening to their grievances and demands,the DCM assured them he would do whatever is legally possible to help them.
*Steps to release compensation from the first week of June:
“Today I had discussions with the farmers from Bidadi.I will take steps to release compensation amount from the first week of June for farmers who have given their land for the Bidadi township.
We have decided to issue separate final-stage notifications by grouping three villages at a time.About 80% of the farmers in the Bidadi Township area have given their consent and are pressing for compensation to be distributed as soon as possible.Concern has been shown for the landless,and this matter will be resolved,”he said.
“This project was not started by me.The notification was issued during Kumaraswamy’s tenure.It was also decided during his tenure that 8,000 square feet would be given.
The project was awarded to DLF Company, but that company withdrew its money saying the project was not viable for them,” he said.
“During the tenure of Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, KIADB had taken 1,000 acres.Nobody spoke up then.
When farmers questioned Kumaraswamy about it at the time, he reportedly said, ‘I got this done, and now there’s nothing I can do,'”he said.
*Continuing the project with farmers’ trust:
“This area had been declared a red zone prohibiting any sale of land.Some people had even filed petitions in court asking for the project to be dropped.But the court also refused to stop the project. For this reason,I am taking the farmers into confidence and continuing with the project.
I have given slightly higher compensation.They are also happy that they are now identified as Bangaloreans as they have been included in that district.
I have convinced all the farmers not to sell their land, telling them that none of you understand its true value yet. Everyone has agreed to this,” he said.
“This will be connected to Kanakapura Road,the Mysuru–Bengaluru Road, and the NICE Road.Premium FAR will also be provided in the future.
Foreigners are asking us what an AI city will look like. Once the land required for this project is in our hands, we will announce the blueprint for this project,” he said.
“When I told the farmers about the debate challenge, they said, ‘Brother, you don’t need to go — we’ll accept the challenge ourselves and give them the answer.’
The price of iron and steel has risen by ₹5,000 per tonne. Kumaranna is the minister in charge of this.The farmers advised me to ask him to bring down the steel prices, and then let Kumaraswamy come for the debate.
Once petrol and diesel prices rise, the price of iron will also go up. The farmers asked me to question Kumaraswamy about this first,” he said.
*Stop the rise in iron prices, Kumaranna;
“Before anything else, let Kumaranna stop the price rise. Poor people cannot afford to build houses. Iron and cement prices have gone up.
Petrol and diesel prices have gone up too. Modi has given you a good position. If you use it to help the poor, you’ll earn some goodwill.
On behalf of the poor people of the state, I personally appeal to him. It would be good if he makes arrangements for people of our state to get iron at lower prices,” he said sarcastically.
*Q&A*
When a reporter pointed out that Kumaraswamy was powerful, he replied, “Let me be weak, let them be powerful. Isn’t iron harder than a rock? Isn’t that how a rock is broken? I had previously accepted their challenge in Satanur too.Even now,I am ready with respect and humility.
I will speak without using any abusive language. Media should also be ready for this. Magadi MLA Balakrishna has also said he will attend.”
*I won’t respond to that boy:
When asked about Nikhil Kumaraswamy asking him as to what he had achieved with 136 MLAs, he said, “I don’t wish to respond to that boy. There are local leaders to respond to him.
What is his status? Once he becomes a party president, I can respond.”
“Earlier, Deve Gowda had said he would leave the country if Narendra Modi won.At that time Modi had said he would offer space in his house.
So,we cannot take everything they say seriously.They change with the times.Now he wants to become a Rajya Sabha member,doesn’t he?”he shot back.
*Let Deve Gowda also join Kumaraswamy for the debate:
When asked about Deve Gowda’s statement that he would launch a fight against the Bidadi project and that he had written letters to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Shivakumar said:
“Deve Gowda should write to Modi and his other leaders. What is the point of writing to our leaders? Rahul Gandhi is not in power.Why should he interfere in all this?Why couldn’t Deve Gowda do anything?”.
When asked about Deve Gowda’s statement that the Chief Minister should not yield to pressure from the KPCC president and calling it a real estate mafia, he said: “Who created the real estate mafia? Who sold to DLF? His son has issued a debate challenge — let Deve Gowda also come for the debate.”
*It was Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda who initiated land acquisition in this area:
Earlier, while speaking to the farmers, the DCM explained:”I am a farmer myself. Hundreds of acres of our own land will also be submerged in the Mekedatu project.
No farmer wants to lose his property.But who started this Bidadi Township project? Who brought the Harohalli Industrial Area?
When CM Lingappa was in power, I had not allowed land acquisition. It was after Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda came that this land acquisition began.”
*There must be equal justice for all:
“Couldn’t their family have bought land in Hassan itself? They came here and bought land.His family members — Thammanna, his wife,his in-laws all bought land here.
In Devagere, they have acquired 200 acres.They included Devagere and Ketaganahalli within the BMICP zone. If they are protectors of farmers’ interests, there must be equal justice for all.
How can their land in Devagere and Ketaganahalli fall within the BMICP project area and yet not face land acquisition?.
There, they acquired 38 acres in others’ names and are now demanding compensation for themselves,” he explained.
*Why didn’t Kumaraswamy issue a de-notification?*
“It was Kumaraswamy who issued the notification for this project.
I considered whether to drop it.I and Kagodu Thimmappa came to Bhairamangala and reviewed it. Court verdicts have come in cases related to this.
That is why nobody had the courage to de-notify it, and I didn’t do it either. Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa have themselves faced de-notification cases.
If they wanted to drop this project, couldn’t they have de-notified it themselves? Why didn’t Kumaraswamy speak up when 900 acres were given to KIADB under the BJP government?”he questioned.
“This area has been declared a red zone — no one can sell the land here. True farmers have understood this. Those who with political interests are opposing it. Let them oppose.
Just look at how much your property value has increased since this district was renamed from Ramanagara to Bengaluru South district.
Kumaraswamy tried his best to stop this, but I went ahead and did it,” he said.
“We have ensured that four medical colleges come to the four talukas in this district.Has anyone else thought of this? I have fixed good compensation for those who lost land for this project.
We are issuing separate notifications for every three villages. Signatures have already been done for Kempaiyanappalya and Mandahalli.Some have already gone to court preparing to block this.
So compensation will be given as each village notification is issued.Cabinet approval has been given for this. BDA has invested Rs.3,000 crore and it has been named the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township.
The NICE Road cannot be stopped no matter what — the Supreme Court has given a verdict on this. HUDCO will provide Rs.12,000 crore,” he said.
*Save as much of your land as possible:
“Save as much of the land you receive as possible.We are ready to give all of you land in one place. When premium FAR comes in the future, you will benefit greatly.
Through the compensation and other expenses in this project, the government is investing ₹5 crore per acre. Those who come here to invest tomorrow should also benefit.
Balakrishna has asked for Metro connectivity to this area,and a survey is being conducted for it. This area has also been brought under BWSSB, and the Bengaluru Water Supply Board will provide water here.
A 40 km road link will be provided.All notifications will be issued by June 30.Those who give consent by June 30 will receive full compensation; for those who don’t, we will deposit the amount in court and continue the work. I congratulate all the farmers who are cooperating with this project,” he said.
