A ‘Work-Live-Play’ township vs. farmers

Nanna bhoomi, nanna hakku – bhooswaadina virodhi raithara horata, indige 440 ne dina, read a message on a blackboard hung on a pole at Byramangala Circle on the Bidadi-Harohalli Road, about 40 km from the centre of Bengaluru.

May 24 marked the 440th day of the farmers’ agitation against the government’s notification to acquire 7,295 acres of farmland in Bidadi. It is part of the 9,640 acres of land spread across nine revenue and 17 non-revenue villages identified for developing the “Work-Live-Play” Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township Project, popularly known as the Bidadi Township Project. The government claims it will be developed into India’s first AI-powered city.

The project, however, has faced strong opposition. Since March 2025, when the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA) – the project implementing authority – issued a preliminary notification for acquiring farmers’ land, at least 10 farmers have remained at the protest site at all times every day to demonstrate their non-consent to the acquisition.

“We have submitted our representations opposing the land acquisition to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and even the Commissioner of GBDA, but none of them have visited the site even once till today,” said Nagaraju M.R., a farmer, while sitting his house in Mandalahalli and talking to The Hindu.

On the other hand, D.K. Shivakumar, who is spearheading the project, tipped-off to be the next Chief Minister of the State, claimed that 80% of the landowners in the area are ready to part with their land.

According to the law, in any project involving land acquisition, if the government receives consent from 80% of the stakeholders, it is permitted to implement the project, and the remaining stakeholders will have to extend their consent.

Shivakumar also said the final notification would be issued by June 30 and the project would proceed. For those opposing the project, the compensation amount would be deposited in court, he said.

However, official documents from the GBDA show that after the preliminary notification, the authority received 1,383 objections. Among them, nearly 1,147 complainants attended the hearing, and later 503 complainants extended consent, leaving around 600 to 700 people still opposing the project.

The protesting farmers allege that the GBDA is misleading the public by understating the actual numbers. The group is preparing to move court as soon as the project begins.

Meanwhile, the protesters have intensified their agitation. Across the villages, boards carrying the slogan “Jeeva Kottevu, Bhoomi Kodalla”, meaning “We may give our lives, but not our land”, can be seen.

The standoff 

In 2006, when H.D. Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister, the government notified the lands to develop five integrated townships at Bidadi, Sathanur, Ramanagara, Solur, and Nandagudi. Bidadi Township was taken up as a pilot project under the PPP model, but was stalled due to local opposition. The area was subsequently declared a red zone, meaning no commercial activity could be undertaken there.

Following the project being revived by Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda have been opposing it, arguing the farmers are being cheated, leading to a political standoff. This has turned the matter into a political standoff between two senior State leaders, which will only intensify with Shivakumar all set to be the Chief Minister. Kumaraswamy has challenged Shivakumar to an open debate on the issue, which the latter has accepted. But the protesters point out that Shivakumar should instead engage with them instead. 

‘Building tomorrow’s Bengaluru’

The proposed township at Bidadi is part of a larger plan to develop Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru South districts, around Bengaluru Urban district, to take in the next wave of investments and development coming to Bengaluru. Shivakumar also championed the move to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South district. 

The special purpose vehicle spearheading the Peripheral Ring Road, Bengaluru Business Corridor Ltd., incorporated under the present Congress regime, has a tagline: “Building Tomorrow’s Bengaluru.”

Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) and Satellite Township Ring Road (STRR) – two major roads coming up – form two concentric circles around the city and all the newly planned development is coming up along these two roads. The second international airport for the city is also expected to come up in the same belt. 

The government is working to establish four work-live-play/walk-to-work townships in this belt, the Bidadi township being biggest among them. While Bidadi is being developed as an AI city, there is a Knowledge, Wellbeing and Innovation (KWIN) City spread over 5,600 acres coming up between Doddaballapur and Dobbspet, connected by STRR and national highways, Startups, Workspaces, Innovation, Finance and Technology (SWIFT) City spread over 1,000+ acres in Sarjapur-Anekal belt, connected by PRR and Metro Phase 3 and a smaller in scale Quantum City near Hesaraghatta. 

In addition, 35 metres along the road carriageway of PRR will be developed commercially and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) plans to develop 11 residential layouts, with focus on vertical development along the road. 

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has already got an approval for Cauvery VI Stage to provide Cauvery river water to towns around Bengaluru. 

A senior official spearheading one of these projects said that the State’s Beyond Bengaluru policy to push investments to tier-2 cities has not yielded satisfactory results, and Bengaluru was still the most sought after destination for investment. “Bengaluru is saturated and we cannot give industries lands in the city. Likewise, nudging them to tier-2 cities has meant we have lost some investments to neighbouring States. This has forced the government to create a new zone around Bengaluru for expansion,” he said. 

V. Ravichandar, member of Brand Bengaluru Committee, said Bengaluru was a magnet of talent pool which was not the case with other cities in the State. “While the desirable approach is to develop our tier-2 cities with social infrastructure to attract a talent pool in the long term, the pragmatic approach was to go for planned development in a belt around the city,” he said. 

A senior urban planner, who did not wish to be named, said a study showed that  every census town in India, without exception, was growing beyond its municipal limits and Bengaluru had one of the fastest growth rates in this region. “South Eastern parts of Bengaluru saw unplanned development like this 25 years ago and we still face its consequences. When such growth is a reality, it is better to go for spatially planned development of areas around Bengaluru instead of leaving it to the market forces,” she said, adding Noida was a better example as to how such planned townships can offer better cities. 

But will a Bengaluru of this scale be viable? Experts argue, it will be Bengaluru Region, on the lines of National Capital Region (NCR), with multiple governance bodies. There are recommendations made to the government to make Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) footprint that of Bengaluru Metropolitan Area (BMA) – 1,200 sq km, and Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee’s footprint that of Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) – 8,000 sq km. 

Land acquisition hurdles 

The biggest impediment to any of these plans is hurdles in acquiring land. Bidadi township and PRR have been stalled for 20 years over the same hurdles. The incumbent regime was forced to drop notification to acquire 1,777 acres of land of Aerospace and Defence Park in Channarayaptana, Devanahalli, also in the same belt, following virulent opposition by farmers there.

While the protests have been from local farmers till date, sources said farmer unions and other organisations that gave their support to the Devanahalli campaign are all set to join the locals in Bidadi, which is expected to intensify the resistance.

However, farmers are divided over whether agriculture was profitable in the belt. 

The protesting farmers argue that they are receiving good yields and are capable of generating good profits on their own. Bhyrappa, 60, a farmer from Byramangala, explained that silk, coconut, and arecanut yields have remained consistent. Nearly 90% of the families are engaged in dairy farming, which serves as a stable source of income.

The red zone classification turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “After the announcement of the red zone, we did not have many options other than making a living from the same land. So, the villagers explored irrigation and proper cultivation methods, which have been effective. Villagers have retained their lands even now because we could not sell the land,” said Nagaraju.

However, Nataraj Ganakal, Chairperson of the GBDA, claimed that official documents show that more than 1,200 acres of land are now owned by residents of Bengaluru city

Guruswamy, 53, a farmer from Thyamappanadoddi who has consented to part with his land, claimed that many among the protesters are farmers who are also primarily involved in the real estate business. When asked why he had consented to give up his land, Guruswamy said, “The contamination of the Vrushabhavathi has severely affected crop yield, and there is barely any profit after investment because cultivation costs are high. Primary crops such as coconut have failed to generate proper yield. Those living near the lake region are finding it difficult to grow anything,” he said.

“Why should my children suffer? I can get good compensation, build a house in the city, and invest in farmland elsewhere. I can provide my children with a good education and live peacefully without constant struggle and hardship,” he explained.

Rejecting claims that retaining the land was not profitable, villagers show a bundle of payslips. A review of the slips showed that many families consistently sell silk, which currently commands a good market price. They sell silk every 22 days and earn close to ₹40,000 each cycle. Besides, they milk cows twice a day and earn nearly ₹40,000 through dairy farming. In addition, coconut, arecanut, jowar, vegetables, and fruits provide a substantial source of income for these farmers.

One of the reasons why many farmers have agreed to part with their lands is that compensation is being provided under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. This offers them an attractive ₹2 crore per acre or site in the new township. In a first-of-its-kind measure, the government has also promised livelihood support from the date of the final notification until monetary compensation is paid or developed sites are handed over. Landowners are expected to receive financial assistance ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 depending on the type of land.

A way of life 

But the older farmers are not ready to give up agriculture. “Agriculture is all we know. At 60, should I go and work in a factory? Will they even hire me?” he questioned. “We do not want their money. We need our land, where we can continue to work every day. We cannot simply take money and sit idle at home,” Bhyrappa said. 

Responding to suggestions that they could buy land elsewhere, Nagaraju said that nearby villages would not sell land, especially after learning that a township was being developed in the region, as land prices would skyrocket. “If we move to some faraway place, we will also have to leave our villages behind, which means losing our identity,” he said.

Similarly, Susheelamma, 60, from the same village, is an independent woman who earns her livelihood through dairy farming. She said there are several women like her who have no idea what they will do once land acquisition begins. Many of these women do not own land, but they own cattle.

The social drift

All these villages are currently in a state of uneasy ceasefire. People who were once friends or relatives no longer see each other because they have taken opposing positions on land acquisition. Prakash H.G., another farmer, explained that even siblings have fought over disagreements related to land acquisition. 

While multiple narratives exist around the issue, it is also true that many people are aligning themselves with the position taken by the political party they support.

Will it be different this time? 

Yelahanka and Kengeri were once developed as satellite towns for Bengaluru. Since then, there have been many proposals for satellite townships around Bengaluru. Even the NICE corridor had such townships planned, but never materialised. Kumaraswamy planned five such townships, including Bidadi, but they made no progress. The incumbent government is now planning four work-live-play townships. With Shivakumar all set to be Chief Minister the project is only expected to gain momentum, but the politics over it also set to intensify.