Arvind Bellad, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA for Hubballi-Dharwad West, urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday to consider relocating the proposed high-tech defence and aerospace park to North Karnataka to preserve the economic and strategic vision behind the project and ensure balanced regional development.
In a letter to the chief minister, Bellad welcomed the government’s decision to withdraw the process to acquire 1,777 acres in Channarayapatna and surrounding villages in Devanahalli taluk following strong opposition from farmers.
Siddaramaiah announced the complete withdrawal of the land acquisition process on Tuesday. The decision came after three and a half years of intense protests by farmers and land rights activists against the acquisition of 1,777 acres of fertile agricultural land in Bengaluru Rural district’s Channarayapatna hobli (village cluster) and nearby villages.
Noting the scale of the agitation, the chief minister said it was one of the most “significant and historic” protests against land acquisition in recent memory in Karnataka.
While terming the decision “understandable” and reflective of the government’s sensitivity to public sentiment, Bellad said that Karnataka contributes about 65 per cent of India’s total aerospace and defence output and ranks third globally in the sector.
“A project of this scale and importance should not be shelved,” Bellad stated, calling on the government to instead shift the initiative to Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, or any other part of North Karnataka. “The region offers advantages including skilled human resources, land availability, and infrastructure support. Most importantly, North Karnataka has remained under-industrialised and economically underserved for decades,” he wrote.
“Relocating the project would ensure the continuation of the state’s leadership in aerospace manufacturing while also bringing much-needed industrial investment and employment to the northern districts,” he added.
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Bellad urged the government to assess the feasibility of such a move and to consider the broader goal of promoting balanced regional development.