Shivakumar Says Truth on Bidadi GBIT Project Will Come Out Amid JD(S)-BJP Protest

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said the government would bring out the facts surrounding the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project near Bidadi, as opposition to the land acquisition intensified.

Shivakumar said the Opposition had the right to protest but invited JD(S) and BJP leaders to raise the issue during the Karnataka Assembly’s monsoon session beginning August 13. His remarks came as the JD(S), backed by the BJP, launched a three-day padayatre against the proposed acquisition of farmers’ land.

The GBIT project, popularly known as the Bidadi township, is planned as a large integrated urban development project aimed at creating a “work-live-play” ecosystem and easing pressure on Bengaluru. The government has projected it as India’s first AI-powered integrated township, with residential, commercial and infrastructure development planned across a large tract of land.

Farmers and residents, however, have opposed the acquisition, citing concerns over the loss of agricultural land and livelihoods. The proposed project is expected to cover around 9,600 acres across 25 villages.

The state government has sought to address these concerns by assuring landowners of compensation and rehabilitation options, including cash compensation or developed residential plots. The government has also said it will not forcibly take land from farmers and has constituted a high-level committee headed by retired High Court judge Justice Guhanathan Narendar to review concerns and differing views on the project.

The issue has also acquired a strong political dimension. JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, along with BJP leaders, has backed the farmers’ opposition and accused the government of pushing ahead with the project despite resistance. The Congress government, meanwhile, maintains that the proposal is not a new initiative of the present administration but a continuation of a plan dating back to the 2006 BJP-JD(S) coalition government.

The latest padayatre, led by JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, is expected to cover about 38 km from Byramangala to Bengaluru’s Freedom Park.