Bengaluru: Farmers in Devanahalli are up in arms again as Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has issued a fresh notice giving them three months to voluntarily offer land for the proposed Aerospace Park near Kempegowda International Airport. Landowners have been asked to express their willingness to part with their property by April 30. The state govt had earlier scrapped acquisition of 1,777 acres in Channarayapattana hobli following strident farmer protests but kept the door open for voluntary contributions. Last week, KIADB issued a public notice stating that willing farmers would receive compensation determined by a committee. Interested landowners must submit their consent at KIADB’s office in Aravind Bhavan on Nupratunga Road. The move has angered farmers, who were preparing to press for a full withdrawal of the acquisition process. “We condemn KIADB’s notice and will decide a course of action soon,” said Karahalli Srinivas, a farmer activist. In July last year, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced that his govt will not pursue acquisition of land for the park. The announcement was formalised by a govt order on Dec 6, 2025. The state also declared the 1,777 acres a permanent special agricultural zone, prohibiting any land use conversion and requiring the land to be used solely for agriculture. This too had angered farmers. Srinivas said farmers will discuss what he described as “double standards of the govt” with pro-farmer organisations and other like-minded organisations. “We will get the govt to drop its decision of designating the area as a permanent special agricultural zone and stop the acquisition process completely,” he said. Local planning authorities, including Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority (BIAAPA) and the Satellite Town Ring Road Planning Authority (STRRPA), were directed to reflect the zoning in their masterplans. The designation was also recorded in column 11 of the RTC (Records of Rights, Tenancy and Crops), a key land record.
