Bidadi Farmers Take 500-Day Land Protest to People’s Tribunal, Question Legality of Township Project

Retired Supreme Court Judge Says Township Notification Appears Illegal, Farmers Reject Government’s Claims of Majority Consent

Ramanagara/Bidadi, 23 July 2026: Farmers from 26 villages opposing the proposed acquisition of 9,640 acres of fertile agricultural land for the proposed Bidadi Township on Thursday presented their grievances before a “Janata Nyayalaya” (People’s Tribunal), saying the state government had ignored their concerns despite their indefinite protest continuing for more than 500 days.

The public hearing, organised at Byramangala Circle by Samyukta Horata Karnataka and the farmers’ land protection committees of Byramangala and Kanchugaranahalli gram panchayats, was attended by retired Supreme Court judge Justice V. Gopala Gowda, agricultural expert Dr. Prakash Kammaradi, sociologist Dr. A.R. Vasavi, senior journalist D. Umapathi and advocate Maitreyi Krishnan. Farmers from all 26 villages deposed before the panel through a symbolic witness box.

9,640 ಎಕರೆ ಭೂಸ್ವಾಧೀನಕ್ಕೆ ರೈತರ ತೀವ್ರ ವಿರೋಧ: 500 ದಿನಗಳ ಹೋರಾಟಕ್ಕೂ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಕಿವಿಗೊಡಲಿಲ್ಲ – ಜನತಾ ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯದ ಮುಂದೆ ರೈತರ ನೋವಿನ ಸಾಕ್ಷ್ಯ

‘No One Came to Hear Us in 500 Days,’ Say Farmers

Movement leader Badagalapura Nagendra said neither the government, district administration nor elected representatives had attempted to understand why farmers were protesting.

“For 500 days, nobody has come to ask about our concerns. This People’s Tribunal has become a platform for farmers to place the truth before society. Those peacefully fighting to protect their land deserve to be heard, not ignored,” he said.

Nagendra alleged that the acquisition process violated the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and claimed the government was falsely stating that over 80 per cent of farmers had consented. He demanded that the fertile irrigated and horticultural land, classified as a Red Zone, be restored as a Green Zone.

Farmers also alleged that those unwilling to surrender their land were being pressured to sign consent forms and that attempts were being made to create divisions within families and villages. They said cultivation of coconut, arecanut, sapota, mango, jackfruit, tamarind, banana and other crops, along with dairy farming, generated an average annual income of about Rs.11 lakh per farming family.

Village Testimonies Challenge Government’s Consent Figures

Representatives from the 26 villages disputed the government’s claims, stating that the overwhelming majority of landowners remained opposed to the acquisition. Several villages reported that no families had agreed to part with their land, while others said only a handful of households had given consent, contradicting the government’s assertion of widespread support.

Justice Gopala Gowda Questions Legal Basis of Project

Justice V. Gopala Gowda questioned the legal validity of the township notification, saying it had been issued under the Greater Bengaluru Authority even though Bidadi falls under the Ramanagara Development Authority.

“The notification appears to be contrary to law and Supreme Court judgments. If the government truly believes in protecting the Constitution, these farmers would not have been protesting for 500 days. It should withdraw from the acquisition process and resolve the issue through dialogue instead of intimidation,” he said.

Dr. Prakash Kammaradi said claims that 70 per cent of farmers had agreed to the project were “completely false” and that repeated visits to the villages had shown widespread opposition. Dr. A.R. Vasavi said land was not merely a commodity but the foundation of farmers’ lives and livelihoods, and urged the government to adopt policies that protected farming communities instead of remaining adamant.

Tribunal to Deliver Findings Next Week

The People’s Tribunal recorded the farmers’ testimonies and urged the state government to resolve the dispute through dialogue while strictly following legal procedures. The panel announced that its findings and verdict based on the public hearing would be released by Monday.