Siddaramaiah Cancels 1,777-Acre Land Acquisition for Aerospace Park, Keeps up His Promise to Farmers

Bangalore Mail News Desk

Bangalore | December 8

Fulfilling the assurance he made to protesting farmers earlier this year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the withdrawal of plans to acquire 1,777 acres of land in Channarayapatna village near Kempegowda International Airport for the proposed Phase-II expansion of the Aerospace Park.

The decision was approved at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday and announced by Law Minister H.K. Patil. The move follows months of agitation by farmers who opposed the acquisition, as well as Siddaramaiah’s commitment in July that their lands would not be taken for the project.

The Phase-II expansion was intended to build on the existing Aerospace Park at Devanahalli, which already includes a Special Economic Zone focused on manufacturing, research, development, and testing. The park currently hosts major global and Indian aviation players, including Boeing, Airbus, HAL, Wipro, and several multinational companies.

In line with Siddaramaiah’s directive, the Cabinet cleared a proposal to issue a notification under Section 4 of the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act to delete 1,777 acres and 2.5 guntas across 13 villages in Devanahalli Taluk, Channarayapatna Hobli, from all acquisition processes. The land will now be declared a “Permanent Special Agriculture Zone,” ensuring it remains preserved as a green zone.

The move is being viewed as a significant win for farmers and a reaffirmation of Siddaramaiah’s stance on protecting agricultural livelihoods amid rapid industrial expansion around Bengaluru.