– Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil revealed that farmers in some areas received double compensation for land acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Progress Board (KIADB) due to official errors during the previous government’s tenure.
– Locations affected include Dharwad district’s Kelageri, Mummigatti, Kotur, and Belur industrial areas; ₹19.99 crore was paid twice to landowners.Enforcement Directorate is investigating, one accused is jailed, and excess funds will be recovered.
– In Ramanagara district’s Bannikuppe village, ₹1.58 crore was similarly overpaid; ₹75 lakh has been deposited back by a landowner while disciplinary action against officials involved has been recommended.
– Opposition leader Chaluvadi Narayanaswamy raised concerns about farmland in Bengaluru’s Kadugodi Plantation area being classified as forest land, causing displacement issues for farmers.
– Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre clarified that this area had been gazetted as State forest in 2006 following court rulings upholding its classification under the Forest Conservation Act.
– Option lands have reportedly been allotted to affected farmers.
Published Date: August 13, 2025
The revelations about double compensation paid thru KIADB point toward procedural inefficiencies in handling large-scale acquisitions of agricultural land for industrial development projects. Errors of this magnitude-totaling over ₹21 crore across districts-highlight a pressing need for stricter oversight and accountability mechanisms within governmental bodies managing acquisition procedures to prevent misuse of public resources.
Meanwhile, the Kadugodi farmland dispute underscores longstanding complexities surrounding land use policies in India. The clash between agricultural interests and environmental conservation illustrates potential confusion regarding ownership documents’ validity when historical notifications are belatedly enforced decades later-a situation often exacerbating challenges faced by farmers relying on such lands for livelihood sustainability.
Both instances demonstrate broader implications tied with governance openness and equitable redress mechanisms needed across sectors like industrial development or natural resource management in India.
Read more link: