Devanahalli farmers offered record ₹2.70 crore per acre for Aerospace Park land

The Land Price Determination Advisory Committee has recommended a record compensation of ₹2.70 crore per acre for 120 acres of land voluntarily offered by farmers in Channarayapatna hobli of Devanahalli taluk. The landmark decision, which is proposed to be the highest-ever compensation for farmland acquisition in Karnataka, was reached during a joint meeting of officials and landowners held in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The recommendation will facilitate voluntary land acquisition for Phase-2 of the Aerospace Park. This development follows a prolonged period of tension in the region, where farmers staged a dharna for 1,198 days to resist compulsory acquisition. In response to the stiff resistance, the Karnataka state government cancelled the forced acquisition of 1,777 acres of farmland across 13 villages in Channarayapatna hobli on July 15, 2025.

While the government shelved the forced acquisition plan, it maintained that there was no bar on landowners who wished to voluntarily give up their land for industrial use. Following this, a group of farmers voluntarily agreed to part with 120 acres, prompting the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to initiate the acquisition process.

KIADB Special Deputy Commissioner A.N. Raghunandan, who presided over the Wednesday meeting, informed the farmers that the compensation recommendation would now be placed before the KIADB Board for official approval. He stated that a final notification under the provisions of the KIADB Act had already been issued on June 16 and published in the official gazette to acquire these lands.

According to Raghunandan, the recommended package is the highest ever offered in the Devanahalli region, reflecting the government's commitment to ensuring fair compensation for the affected landowners.

For farmers who do not wish to receive monetary compensation, the KIADB has offered an alternative. Landowners can opt to obtain 10,781 square feet of developed land within the industrial area for every acre of agricultural land they surrender.

Government sources noted that this alternative has gained traction because landowners who chose developed land in earlier acquisition phases in Devanahalli have witnessed a rapid increase in land prices. This appreciation has motivated more local farmers to voluntarily consider the KIADB's current offer.

Meanwhile, farmers' resistance to land acquisition for another project, the Bidadi Township Project, continues to pick up steam elsewhere in the state.