Mysore/Mysuru: Urging the Government to drop plans for acquisition of 9,640 acres for formation of Bidadi Township near Bengaluru and construction of NIMHANS-like Hospital on fertile land at Gudumadanahalli in Mysuru taluk, KRRS President Badagalapura Nagendra has warned of a State-wide massive farmer movement if the Government does not scrap the two projects and goes ahead with its plans.

Addressing a press meet here yesterday, Nagendra said that a meeting of core committee of Samyukta Horata-Karnataka will be held at Bengaluru on May 18 to discuss the modalities of the movement to be launched.

Charging the State Government of making moves for acquisition of thousands of acres of fertile land at Byramangala, K.G. Gollarapalya, Aralalusandra, Bannigiri, Hosur, Mandalahalli, Kempayyanapalya and Odeyarapalya villages in Bidadi hobli, Nagendra alleged that the Government was out to evict farmers at Gudumadanahalli in Mysuru taluk, who have been tilling the fertile lands for decades, for construction of NIMHANS-like Hospital there.

Continuing, Nagendra said the lands in Bidadi hobli have irrigation facilities throughout the year and horticultural crops such as Coconut, Arecanut, Mango etc., are grown here in abundance. “It is from here that Bengaluru city gets a good chunk of its farm needs such as Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Ghee, Curds etc., In this background, the farmers of Bidadi hobli villages have launched an indefinite stir at Byramangala for the past 438 days in protest against land acquisition plans. But despite this, the Government is going ahead with its Township project,” he maintained.

Reiterating that the Government should scrap the two projects in the better interests of the farmers, he warned the Government that the farmers would not allow the projects to come up at the proposed sites.

Farmer leaders Hoskote Basavaraj, Netravathi, P. Marankaiah and Mandakalli Mahesh were present at the press meet.