BENGALURU: For the second consecutive day, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officials were prevented from carrying out re-survey work of the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) Project by farmers, whose lands were being acquired for it. The farmers demanded a higher compensation than what the BDA has offered.
Re-survey work of the proposed 65.5-km road, which was floated 12 years ago to decongest the city’s roads, commenced a month-and-a-half-ago after K Mathai took over as special land acquisition officer for the project. The eight-lane road will encircle Outer Ring Road and connect Tumukuru Road and Hosur Road.
The BDA had earmarked 1,810 acres of land spread across 67 villages for acquisition. Nearly 5,000 farmers, who own that land, have been notified about the same. Following threats of a protest on Wednesday, BDA officials took the help of its Task Force as well as policemen to carry out the survey work.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, K Mathai, said, “Around 200 farmers held protests and prevented survey work from being carried out. They are not satisfied with the compensation offered. A decision will be taken on the issue following a meeting to be convened by the chief secretary on Friday evening.” BDA had completed the survey work for 20 km in the past 45 days, he added.
Deputy commissioner, land acquisition, Shivraj said that he would give details about the protests only after a report in this connection is submitted to him on Thursday. Asked to explain the compensation norms, an official said that the BDA planned to compensate those with less than two acres of land as per the guidelines of the Karnataka State Land Acquisition Act 2013.Those who possess more than two acres will be compensated for 50% of the land while the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) certificates will be given for the remaining land.