Relief for Karnataka govt as HC dismisses PIL against Bidadi Township Project
Bengaluru: In a major relief to the state government and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the Karnataka High Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the acquisition of 516 acres of agricultural land for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township Project at Bidadi.
The PIL, filed by Rajesh Kamplapura Basavanna, questioned the legality of the land acquisition process and sought the court’s intervention against the notification issued for the project.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha heard the matter.
During the proceedings, the Bench observed that the State government appeared to have invoked a legal framework that provided for enhanced compensation to landowners and noted that compensation was being awarded under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
The court repeatedly asked the petitioner to identify any specific violation of law in the acquisition process.
However, Rajesh, who appeared in person, argued that the government was converting more than 9,400 acres of agricultural land for real estate development despite opposition from some farmers.
He informed the court that some farmers had been protesting against the project for nearly 500 days and contended that consent from at least 80 per cent of landowners was required before proceeding with the township project.
The Bench, however, made it clear that it would not examine the merits or desirability of the project and was only concerned with whether there had been any legal infirmity in the acquisition process.
At one point during the hearing, when the petitioner referred to a possible change in government after 2028, the court interrupted him, stating that the High Court was not a forum for political discussions and once again asked him to demonstrate any statutory violation.
Finding no grounds to interfere, the Karnataka High Court dismissed the PIL challenging the land acquisition notification for the Bidadi Integrated Township Project, clearing a significant legal hurdle for the State government’s ambitious Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township initiative.
The PIL was filed in the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the government’s final notification for land acquisition and halt all related proceedings, alleging bypassed social impact assessments and environmental violations.
The PIL alleges that the project violates land acquisition laws and environmental safeguards, citing a negative ecological and urban planning impact. The petitioner has requested an independent expert committee to review the township’s construction on agricultural land.