JOIN THE LCW
COMMUNITY

Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, quarterly analytics report, curated expert talks, merchandise and much more. Support our work!

Sign up today

Farmers Demand Employment, Higher Compensation in Exchange of Land for Hassan Airport in Karnataka

Reported by

Elizabeth Mani

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

September 17, 2018

May 17, 2022

Edited on

September 17, 2018

State

Karnataka

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

250

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

298

ha

Starting Year

2007

Location of Conflict

Bhuvanahalli, Sankenahalli, Lakshmisagara, Thendihalli, Davalapura and G Milanahalli

Hassan

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Airport

Land Conflict Summary

Farmers and land owners in Bhuvanahalli and six other villages in Tumkur district have opposed the price quoted by the district administration as compensation for the Hassan airport project, which is a joint venture between the Government of Karnataka and Jupiter Aviation Private Limited on a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model. The project was first mooted by the Central Public Works Department in 1960, with a land notification being issued in 1969, but there was no progress. It was later revived in 20062007 by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the interest of the region's farming sector. The district authorities had acquired 536 acres of land across the seven villages of Bhuvanahalli, Sankenahalli, Lakshmisagara, Thendihalli, Davalapura and G Milanahalli on the outskirts of the city in 2007 and handed it over to Jupiter Aviation.  The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) needs additional 200 acres for the project. KIADB claims that 254 acres of land in four parcels have already been notified for the airport project over 12 years. At a meeting between the farmers and the district administration on July 17, 2018, the farmers said they would give up their land for the airport only if the airport authorities provide employment to the local people and pay INR 2 crore per acre as compensation. The district officials, however, offered them a maximum compensation of INR 32 lakh per acre. The farmers claimed that some qualified youths from the village wanted to apply for jobs at the airport but were denied entry by the airport authority. When LCW approached Special Land Acquisition Officer Arun Kumar for comments on the issue, he said he would not be able to share any information since he is not the concerned officer anymore. LCW then tried to contact another Special Land Acquisition Officer, Suresh Kumar, who said he had recently joined the post and was not aware of the issue. In March 2021, it was reported that the work on the airport could potentially begin within a year as the hurdles in the longstanding project were in the process of being cleared. Additional Chief Secretary Kapil Mohan visited the land in Boovanahalli village acquired for the airport and stated, "At present, we are concentrating on clearing the hurdles. At least 23 kilometres of the radius of the airport should be clear for flight operations. The power supply lines are being shifted. In June 2021, the Karnataka Cabinet formally approved the construction of the domestic airport at a revised investment of INR 194 crore.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Demand for employment

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban and Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

193.65

Type of investment:

Revised Investment

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Other, Case Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act, 1966
Section 28 [The state government may acquire land for the purposes of the Act]; Section 29 [Compensation for the land acquired has to be paid in accordance with the Act]; Section 30 [Land Acquisition Act, 1894, applies mutatis mutandis for the purpose of payment of compensation under the Act]
Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Section 11 [Award made by District Collector includes the amount of compensation allowed for acquired land]; Section 15 [District Collector to be guided by Sections 23 and 24 for determining compensation]; Section 23 [Matters to be considered while determining compensation for land acquired]; Section 24 [Matters to be neglected while determining compensation]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 24(2) [Where an award under the 1894 Act has been made five years or more prior to the commencement of the 2013 Act but the physical possession of the land has not been taken or the compensation has not been paid, the said proceedings shall be deemed to have lapsed]
J Venkatesh Reddy v. State of Karnataka (WP Nos. 59461-59462 OF 2014, Karnataka High Court)
Section 24 of the LARR Act, which states that land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, shall be deemed to have lapsed in certain cases, will be applicable to an acquisition under the KIAD Act.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Incorrect estimation of compensation

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Delay in compensation

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Refusal of compensation

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

Farmers and land owners in Bhuvanahalli and six other villages in Tumkur district have opposed the price quoted by the district administration as compensation for the Hassan airport project, which is a joint venture between the Government of Karnataka and Jupiter Aviation Private Limited on a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model. The project was first mooted by the Central Public Works Department in 1960, with a land notification being issued in 1969, but there was no progress. It was later revived in 20062007 by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the interest of the region's farming sector. The district authorities had acquired 536 acres of land across the seven villages of Bhuvanahalli, Sankenahalli, Lakshmisagara, Thendihalli, Davalapura and G Milanahalli on the outskirts of the city in 2007 and handed it over to Jupiter Aviation.  The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) needs additional 200 acres for the project. KIADB claims that 254 acres of land in four parcels have already been notified for the airport project over 12 years. At a meeting between the farmers and the district administration on July 17, 2018, the farmers said they would give up their land for the airport only if the airport authorities provide employment to the local people and pay INR 2 crore per acre as compensation. The district officials, however, offered them a maximum compensation of INR 32 lakh per acre. The farmers claimed that some qualified youths from the village wanted to apply for jobs at the airport but were denied entry by the airport authority. When LCW approached Special Land Acquisition Officer Arun Kumar for comments on the issue, he said he would not be able to share any information since he is not the concerned officer anymore. LCW then tried to contact another Special Land Acquisition Officer, Suresh Kumar, who said he had recently joined the post and was not aware of the issue. In March 2021, it was reported that the work on the airport could potentially begin within a year as the hurdles in the longstanding project were in the process of being cleared. Additional Chief Secretary Kapil Mohan visited the land in Boovanahalli village acquired for the airport and stated, "At present, we are concentrating on clearing the hurdles. At least 23 kilometres of the radius of the airport should be clear for flight operations. The power supply lines are being shifted. In June 2021, the Karnataka Cabinet formally approved the construction of the domestic airport at a revised investment of INR 194 crore.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Demand for employment

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban and Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

193.65

Type of investment:

Revised Investment

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Other, Case Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act, 1966
Section 28 [The state government may acquire land for the purposes of the Act]; Section 29 [Compensation for the land acquired has to be paid in accordance with the Act]; Section 30 [Land Acquisition Act, 1894, applies mutatis mutandis for the purpose of payment of compensation under the Act]
Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Section 11 [Award made by District Collector includes the amount of compensation allowed for acquired land]; Section 15 [District Collector to be guided by Sections 23 and 24 for determining compensation]; Section 23 [Matters to be considered while determining compensation for land acquired]; Section 24 [Matters to be neglected while determining compensation]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 24(2) [Where an award under the 1894 Act has been made five years or more prior to the commencement of the 2013 Act but the physical possession of the land has not been taken or the compensation has not been paid, the said proceedings shall be deemed to have lapsed]
J Venkatesh Reddy v. State of Karnataka (WP Nos. 59461-59462 OF 2014, Karnataka High Court)
Section 24 of the LARR Act, which states that land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, shall be deemed to have lapsed in certain cases, will be applicable to an acquisition under the KIAD Act.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Incorrect estimation of compensation

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Delay in compensation

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Refusal of compensation

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

When LCW approached Special Land Acquisition Officer Arun Kumar for comments on the issue, he said he would not be able to share any information since he is not the concerned officer anymore. LCW then tried to contact another Special Land Acquisition Officer, Suresh Kumar, who said he had recently joined the post and was not aware of the issue.

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Karnataka

cross
Not a member yet?
Sign up now