Bengaluru: The state government has decided to return 40,000 acres of land, that was acquired in the past for the industries but still left unused, to the original owners.
According to sources at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), between 2008 and 2017, the state government had acquired 1.21 lakh acres of land for industrial purposes under the Land Bank scheme. The basic idea behind this scheme was to ensure that industrialists who come forward for the investment, will not be forced to wait for the land to take up their projects.
“This land bank scheme was part of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) preparations. But, around 40,000 acres of land acquired through the primary notification still has no takers. This land is lying unutilised. So, keeping in mind the best interests of the farmers, the state government has decided to cancel the notification and return the land to the farmers,” informed a senior officer at the CMO.
“60,000 acres of land are still with the Karnataka State Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB),” he added.
According to sources in the state government, this decision is expected to help CM HD Kumaraswamy strengthen his position as a pro-farmer Chief Minister.
