Women farmers in Karnataka’s Bidadi beat survey officials with brooms and damaged their vehicles during a land survey for the state government’s ambitious Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project.
According to reports, the women farmers were protesting at Mandalahalli when a survey official allegedly responded tersely to their questions about pending acquisition petitions.
This enraged the women farmers, who beat the officials black and blue, prompting police and KSRP personnel to intervene.
The incident comes amid mounting protests from Bidadi farmers over land acquisition for the township project.
What is Bidadi township project?
In one of its most ambitious urban development revamp, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is spearheading the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township at Bidadi, a project that could redefine the state’s economic and urban future.
The project is located along the Bengaluru–Mysuru corridor and being hailed a next-generation, AI-powered urban centre that will not only ease pressure on Bengaluru but also unlock new growth avenues for the south Indian state.
Also known as the Bidadi project, the proposed township will spread across nearly 9,600 acres in Ramanagara district, some 30-40 km away from state capital Bengaluru.
In contrast to Bengaluru’s congested urban sprawl and continuing struggles with rapid growth, the Bidadi township is being designed as a self-sustaining “work-live-play” ecosystem combining housing, industry, innovation, commerce and civic infrastructure in a single planned development.
The highly-ambitious project is an attempt to build a balanced, sustainable and economically competitive future of Karnataka.
However, land acquisition has become a major hurdle after several farmers refused to sell their land to the government.