The Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) has initiated a significant move to address the housing crunch in one of Bengaluru's fastest-growing corridors. The board has issued a formal notification to acquire approximately 593 acres of land near Devanahalli, an area witnessing an industrial boom led by major investments like the Foxconn iPhone plant.
Details of the Land Acquisition Notification
The notification, issued under the Land Acquisition Act, was made public last week. It identifies specific land parcels across four villages in Kundana hobli, Devanahalli taluk, within Bengaluru Rural district. The targeted villages and their respective areas are:
- Vishwanathapura: 409 acres
- Vajarahalli: 42 acres and 20 guntas
- Beerasandra: 59 acres and 22 guntas
- Shyanappanahalli: 81 acres and 35 guntas
Authorities have imposed a strict 60-day window for landowners and other stakeholders to file any objections or suggestions. These must be submitted to the housing commissioner's office at the KHB head office in Bengaluru. Furthermore, the notification explicitly bars any transactions—such as sales, leases, or ownership transfers—on the notified land and warns of legal action against anyone obstructing government officials during survey and acquisition work.
The 50-50 Land Sharing Compensation Model
In a departure from traditional monetary compensation, KHB Housing Commissioner Dayananda KA announced that the acquisition will follow a land-sharing model. Under this "50-50 formula," landowners will receive 50% of the developed land as their share, instead of a cash payout.
Officials state that the planned project will feature a mix of residential plots and affordable housing units. The primary goal is to cater to the surging demand for housing driven by rapid urbanization and the region's transformation into a key industrial and manufacturing hub, particularly around the IT Investment Region (ITIR).
Industrial Growth and Local Apprehensions
The acquisition spotlights the intense development pressure in the Devanahalli region. Initially, KHB had identified over 772 acres across five villages. A separate notification for the remaining 179 acres in Managondanahalli village is anticipated soon.
While the government emphasizes the project's necessity to meet future urban housing needs, the move has sparked concern among local residents and farmers. Keshava N, a resident, voiced a common fear, stating that poor farmers risk losing fertile land without receiving market-price compensation. He urged the government to consider diverting such industrial projects to North Karnataka instead of concentrating them around Bengaluru.
This large-scale acquisition underscores the ongoing tension between industrial expansion and sustainable urban planning in Bengaluru's periphery, setting the stage for crucial discussions between the authorities and the affected communities in the coming months.
