Karnataka
Shivamogga, and Kadur and Tarikere areas in Hassan district
,
Kibbanahalli, Tiptur, Gubbi, Ammanagatta
,
Tumkur
Published :
Sep 2018
|
Updated :
Farmers Yet to Receive Compensation for Tumkur-Honnavar National Highway in Karnataka
Reported by
Elizabeth Mani
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
2500
People affected
2016
Year started
81
Land area affected
Households affected
2500
People Affected
2016
Year started
81
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Ended
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Ended
1
Summary

More than 2,500 farmers in Tiptur tehsil in Tumkur, whose land had been acquired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to widen NH 206 connecting Bengaluru and Honnavara in Karnataka, are yet to receive the promised compensation. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), an organisation working for the rights of farmers in the state, alleges that compensation has been due for the last two years. R. Suratnamma, a resident of Ammana Gatta village, whose land was acquired, says, "It has been two years since the government acquired my land and I am still waiting for compensation. Our water pump was lost during the acquisition process, but the authorities have not considered that for compensation." After the NHAI sent a land acquisition notice to the farmers in 2016, special land acquisition officer Mahesh Babu announced that farmers who lose their land for highwayrelated work will be eligible for a compensation at four times the price fixed by the office of subregistrars. This was met by protests by hundreds of farmers, who demanded a higher compensation. NHAI officer for Tumkur, G. Harshavardhana, said the government had set a revised price for the acquired lands. The Department of Horticulture had also set a price for coconut, areca nut, turmeric, jackfruit and other trees (that may have been lost during the land acquisition). Similarly, the Public Works Department had set a price for the damage incurred to homes and boundary gates. The NHAI started work on the highway in 2016. The project was undertaken to convert the 215kilometrelong stretch of the highway passing through Tumkur, GubbiTipturArsikere, KadurTarikere and Shivamogga into a fourlane highway. According to Anandravi S. from the KRRS, the disputed land is agricultural land and is a means of livelihood for the farmers. "The government had acquired land from farmers but did not offer any compensation. We have protested several times, but no one is bothered about our cause," he said. Kunigal Thahasildar Nagaraj, head of Kunigal tehsil in Tumkur, says, "We are trying to convince the farmers to sell their land at the market rate. But they are unwilling to sell, which is why the project is yet to take off as land acquisition is under progress." In late January 2019, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, the farmers sat on an indefinite strike outside the office of the assistant commissioner in Tiptur to demand fair compensation. They claimed that the survey conducted by a private agency had discrepancies and did not maintain uniformity in the compensation rate. Yashoda, special land acquisition officer for NH206, meanwhile says that the "rates have been fixed as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, by taking the average of the market price and guidance value as it was in 2016. And, if notifications have been done incorrectly, it will be rectified in the next stage. If farmers have problems regarding land valuation, they can appeal against it." The farmers claim that an independent environmental impact assessment was not conducted and that the new alignment of the highway will run across three ecosensitive areas. They also fear that the execution of the project would increase humananimal conflict. In 2020, the project started and the construction work was awarded to Ashoka Buildcon Limited.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for more compensation than promised

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban and Rural

Type of Land

Both

Forest and Non-Forest

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?

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):

1035

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

National Highways Authority of India

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:

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha

5
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?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Elizabeth Mani
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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for more compensation than promised

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

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?

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

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