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Why JD(S), BJP and farmers are opposing India's first AI-powered Bengaluru township project

The Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project has become a new battleground for Vokkaliga leaders H.D. Kumaraswamy and D.K. Shivakumar, highlighting concerns about fertile land, compensation, and political motives The proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project near Bidadi, approximately 30km from Bengaluru, has met with resistance from the Janata Dal (Secular) party, which launched a protest at Bidadi demanding that the government stop the acquisition of farmland across the 10 villages identified by the state government. Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, who addressed a farmers' protest organised by his party at Bidadi through video conference on Sunday, said, "Farmers must not fear. Under the pretext of a township, fertile lands are being looted. We will not allow this. Not a single inch of land will be surrendered for the project." Last March, the Karnataka cabinet cleared the township project, which is billed as India's first AI-powered "work-live-play" city near Bidadi in Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) district, and is designed to "ease pressure" on the state capital. The township is likely to come up across 9,000 acres spread across 10 villages, including Byramangala, Bannigere, K.G. Gollarapalya, Kanchugaranahalli, and Aralasandra. The proposed self-contained urban hub will allocate around 2,000 acres to artificial intelligence and technology industries, and support services. The master plan envisages wide arterial roads, a 300-metre-wide business corridor, green parks over 1,000 acres, rejuvenated lakes and wetlands, and smart-city features such as sensors and digital twin technology. It is meant to be zero-carbon, zero-waste, and low-traffic. The township, estimated to cost Rs 20,000 crore as an investment - Rs 3,000 crore coming from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the balance from financial institutions against a state government guarantee - would have connectivity to the Satellite Town Ring Road and other highways. According to officials, it is a move to shift Bengaluru's future business and residential growth outward, reduce traffic congestion in the core city, and create new jobs in tech and allied sectors for local youth, a model for sustainable urbanisation. The farmer protests began soon after the preliminary land-acquisition notifications were issued, fearing the loss of fertile land and inadequate compensation. Opposition parties have accused the government of rushing the project without full transparency. Environmentalists have also warned about the impact on Byramangala lake and other wetlands. The government maintains that detailed master plans, compensation packages, and environmental safeguards will be put in place as it proceeds. Earlier, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is leading the protest, said, "Fertile lands are being looted. We will not allow this. Not a single inch of land will be surrendered for the project. The lands identified by the government for the project across 10 villages are fertile, irrigated land. As many as 3,500 families (16,000 people) are dependent on it for their livelihood. The villages produce 6.5 lakh litres of milk every month and grow vegetables, greens, and coconut. But the government failed to hold a meeting of these stakeholders before acquiring their land. At least 80 per cent of these farmers are opposing the project." The GBIT is the new battleground for the two Vokkaliga leaders who are striving to emerge as the tallest Vokkaliga leader and perhaps inherit the popularity and following of the veteran leader Deve Gowda. The archrivals - Mandya MP and Union Minister Kumaraswamy, who has previously represented both Ramanagara and Channapatna Assembly seats, and D.K. Shivakumar, who represents the Kanakapura Assembly constituency in Ramanagara district - are once again at loggerheads. This time, the JD(S) leader is trying to reclaim his party's pro-farmer image, while the Congress leader, who is a CM-in-waiting, is hoping to prep up his home district as an extension of Bengaluru city. "We will protest till the government drops the project, just like it did following protests at Devanahalli. This protest is pro-farmer and not against the township, any individual (Shivakumar), or the government. The government can develop the proposed township at Harohalli, where the KIADB has already acquired 950 acres of land," said Kumaraswamy, who is leading the JD(S) protest. Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, also Bengaluru Development Minister, asserted that he would not drop the project because a few brokers were demanding it. "This opposition is from political opponents of our local MLA H.C. Balakrishna. We are compensating the landowners as per the norms. Why did Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy, and former MLA Manjunath, who are now opposing the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Urban Plan in Bidadi, cooperate with the previous BJP government when it gave away 900 acres of land to KIADB?" asked Shivakumar. Taking a dig at JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Shivakumar said he was happy that Deve Gowda was fighting against GBIT. "It is his son (Kumaraswamy) who issued the notification for this project, signed the agreement with DLF for this Bidadi Township, and got paid, too. Why was this land not denotified during his rule? When Yediyurappa gave the land to KIADB, all the farmers in that area received compensation. The land is now under the KIADB. There is no opposition from the farmers," claimed Shivakumar. The DCM stated that he would release a list of beneficiaries of the money paid when 950 acres were handed over to KIADB. Kumaraswamy slammed Shivakumar for "falsely" accusing the Devegowda family of having initiated the Bidadi Township project. "It is deeply disturbing that the person who repeatedly exploited the land of the poor and the farmers is now making frivolous remarks about me. Unlike Shivakumar, who has built schools, colleges, or high-rise complexes on the lands taken away from the poor, I am building a life as a farmer in Bidadi. The former minister alleged that Shivakumar had "forcibly" taken away lands from poor farmers even in the past and cited that one Krishnamurthy of Billekempanahalli village had built a hotel on the Bangalore-Mysore highway with a Karnataka Finance Corporation (KFC) loan. The property was forcibly vacated, later purchased at a low price, and a school was subsequently constructed on the same land. Similarly, Ramaswamy, a former soldier of the Indian Army, who purchased land with his hard-earned savings, was threatened by Shivakumar to part with the land. And when he refused to yield, Ramaswamy's daughter was allegedly kidnapped and forced to sign away the property. Kumaraswamy also alleged that Shivakumar had encroached upon land acquired around Hosakerehalli for the NICE Road project, as well as large tracts of land taken during S.M. Krishna's tenure as Chief Minister under the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway plan. "It has been more than 20 years, yet no road has been built, and the acquired land is being misused. By contrast, when I was the chief minister, the Bangalore-Mysore highway was completed swiftly, and compensation was promptly given to farmers who lost land," said Kumaraswamy. Recalling the pro-farmer legacy of his family, Kumaraswamy added: "Throughout my public life, I have never falsely claimed development at the cost of land acquisition. On the contrary, I ensured that farmers retained 40% of their land in projects. Until my last breath, I will not commit injustice against farmers." He accused the government of deliberately inflating land records, saying, "They claim 3,000-4,000 acres out of 9,000 acres are government-owned, when in reality, only 700 acres belong to the government. These false figures are being used to justify the township and loot farmers' land." He also warned the police not to harass farmers at the behest of the Congress government. LOP in Assembly R. Ashok dubbed the GBIT as "illegal" and urged the state government to immediately withdraw from it. "At least 6,500 acres out of the 9,600 acres of land identified for acquisition are fertile agricultural land. There are more than 10 lakh coconut and mango trees, and 6.5 lakh litres of milk from these villages reaches the KMF daily. The government is acquiring fertile land and depriving the farmers of their livelihood to develop sites," alleged Ashok. The BJP leader also noted the Karnataka Housing Board had acquired 500 acres of land and formed sites, but not a single house had been built to date. "The sites at the Kempegowda and Shivaram Karanth layouts are also lying vacant. The DCM should denotify these lands immediately," said Ashok. Bidadi is home to several MNCs and companies, namely Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Bosch, Coca-Cola, Britannia, and many SSIs spread across the Bidadi Industrial Area. While the plan is to attract AI and technology industries, it is not clear if they are being offered special incentives to attract investment. "Toyota company has sought 300 acres for residential purposes in the proposed township, and I suggested that they should model their township on the lines of Japanese townships," added Shivakumar.

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