Karnataka HC dismisses PIL against 7,400-acre Bidadi township land acquisition

Bengaluru: The High Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the state's acquisition of about 7,400 acres for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township near Bidadi in Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's home district.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha held that it could not examine the merits of the government's policy decision to acquire land under the township scheme. The petition had sought to quash the final land acquisition notification.

Responding to the order, Shivakumar declined to comment on the merits of the case. "I don't want to discuss it now. The Assembly session is coming up and we can discuss it there. This is not the time to politicise the issue," he said.


The ruling comes days after the chief minister announced the formation of a committee to review the proposed township project following sustained protests by farmers opposing the land acquisition.

The integrated township, estimated to cost more than Rs 18,200 crore, is planned across about 7,481 acres covering nine villages in the Ramanagara and Harohalli regions of Bengaluru South.

Shivakumar has maintained that the government will not forcibly acquire land from unwilling farmers and that those choosing not to part with their holdings would be allowed to continue cultivation.

The review committee has been tasked with examining the project's implementation, assessing its benefits and concerns, and consulting stakeholders. The government has also said the status of land owned by farmers unwilling to participate in the project would remain unchanged pending the committee's recommendations.