Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, criticized the state government for proposing a government housing project on 9,600 acres of agricultural land in Bidadi and Kanchaganahalli near Bengaluru. Ashoka expressed concerns about the government targeting fertile agricultural land historically associated with Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru city, known for cultivating crops like coconut, areca nut, and silk.
Ashoka alleged that the Congress government aimed to acquire 9,600 acres of land in Bidadi and Kanchaganahalli, despite the existence of around seven lakh vacant private and government flats. He highlighted that out of this land, 3,000 acres belonged to the government, raising suspicions of financial exploitation through the project.
Former Chief Minister and current Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had previously halted the project, according to Ashoka, but the state government was now reviving the proposal. He cautioned that converting agricultural land for housing projects could potentially result in food shortages and emphasized the increased financial strain on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) due to escalated garbage management costs.
