Peripheral Ring Road: Land losers warn of ‘jail bharo’ stir to demand ‘fair’ compensation in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: With compensation not at hand 20 years after their lands were notified for acquisition for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), farmers have demanded that they be compensated according to the Land Acquisition Act 2013 or their lands be released by way of denotification, failing which they would launch a ‘jail bharo' protest soon.
BDA notified 1,810 acres of land for acquisition between Tumakuru Road and Hosur Road way back in 2005 to construct the 65km PRR. While the construction work has not taken off, the farmers have been left in limbo. While BDA is ready to acquire the properties under the British-era Land Acquisition Act 1894, the farmers are demanding that it be done under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013.
The 1894 Act provides for compensation of 30% more than the guidance value, while the 2013 law promises a better deal, the upset farmers point out.
Dhanraj B, a farmer from Mavallipura, told TOI, "Since our land was notified for acquisition, we have not been able to carry out any kind of activities on it. I can't sell the land, I can't build any house… I can't do anything with the land right now. If we want money for any health emergency, a wedding, or higher education, land is our only asset, and that asset is just lying lifeless."
Mavalipura Srinivas, president of PRR Raitha Haagu Niveshanadarara Sangha, representing all the affected farmers, said that they will go on the "jail bharo aandolana." "Either give us compensation according to the current market price or release our lands by denotifying them. We are writing to the CM asking for his intervention in the matter, and if he fails to do so, we will go on a jail bharo aandolana, where all our family members will gather, court arrest and let the govt feed us in jail. We are too tired of this game being played by the BDA."
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Concerns over ‘middlemen'
Farmers have been complaining that, over the past week, a few people have been persuading them to accept Rs 2 crore in compensation for one acre.
Srinivas Reddy, a farmer, said, "We were approached by a few middlemen, and asked to sign a paper consenting to accept a compensation of Rs 2 crore per acre. A lot of us didn't sign the copy. We are concerned who these middlemen are."
BDA commissioner N Jayaram denied the agency is asking the farmers to sign any papers on the compensation amount. "I am sure people are well aware of the land documents and they wouldn't really sign those papers. In fact, we are trying to get a consent award where we are in talks with farmers to fix a certain price which would fetch them more money than whatever they get under the 1894 Act. However, a few of them have agreed to the price and a lot of farmers are not accepting the compensation," N Jayaram said.