In a significant move honouring a political commitment, the Karnataka government has officially abandoned its plan to acquire 1,777 acres of agricultural land for the expansion of an Aerospace Park near Bengaluru. The decision, taken during a Cabinet meeting, comes after sustained protests by farmers and a direct assurance from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
A Victory for Farmer Protests
The controversial land acquisition process, initiated for the second phase of the Aerospace Park in Devanahalli Taluk, has been formally dropped. The state Cabinet approved a proposal to delete the identified land in 13 villages of Channarayapatna Hobli, Bengaluru Rural District, from the acquisition process. Instead, the entire area will be declared a "Permanent Special Agriculture Zone" to preserve it as a green zone.
This reversal follows a pledge made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 15 after meeting with protesting farmers. He had then announced that the state would not acquire the 1,777 acres, which had been notified as an industrial area. Law Minister H K Patil confirmed the Cabinet's decision, noting that the process was scrapped even though some stages had reached their final phases.
Timeline of the Controversial Acquisition
The roots of the dispute trace back to the previous BJP government. A preliminary notification for acquiring the land was first issued on August 27, 2021, for developing Aerospace Park-Phase-II. After the Congress came to power, the process continued, with final notifications for 1,281 acres out of the total 1,777 acres issued on June 28, 2024, and April 19, 2025. The final notification for the remaining 495 acres in three villages was never issued.
Farmers, supported by organisations like the Samyukta Kissan Morcha (SKM), opposed the acquisition for nearly three years. Tensions escalated on June 25 when police allegedly used force to disperse a protest and arrested leaders. Farmer unions accused the Congress government of betraying a pre-election promise to withdraw the acquisition notification if voted to power.
Economic Ambitions vs. Agrarian Concerns
The decision pits the state's industrial ambitions against the rights of its farming community. The first phase of the Aerospace Park in Devanahalli is a successful Special Economic Zone hosting giants like Boeing, Airbus, HAL, and Wipro. The state's Aerospace and Defence Policy 2022-27 aims to attract ₹45,000 crore in investments and create 60,000 jobs. Karnataka currently contributes 65% to India's aerospace exports and 25% to the national aircraft and spacecraft industry.
However, farmers argued that previous acquisitions for the nearby Haralur Industrial Area, involving 6,000 acres, had displaced thousands without fair compensation. The KIADB Land Acquisition Resistance Struggle Committee led the fight against this new acquisition. A Cabinet note stated that since farmers are dependent on cultivating this land, the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) itself requested the government to declare it a permanent agricultural zone.
Congress minister K H Muniyappa called the decision "pro-farmer," noting there is no precedent for excluding land once notified for such a purpose. The move marks a clear political resolution to a prolonged conflict, balancing industrial growth with the protection of agricultural livelihoods.
