"Not a single tree cut without court permission": Karnataka High Court's strict direction to govt on Bidadi Township Project

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 26 (ANI): The Karnataka High Court has issued a strict direction to the state government that not a single brick shall be moved and not a single tree shall be cut in the Bidadi Township project area without the permission of the court.
The direction was issued by a single-judge bench of Justice R Nataraj while hearing a writ petition filed by four farmers challenging the land acquisition process for the Bidadi Smart City project.
The bench strongly reprimanded the government, observing, "How can you bring a bulldozer immediately after fixing the compensation amount? The government should not indulge in overnight destruction of property."
The court made it clear that even after the compensation amount is announced, no coercive action can be taken against the farmers without obtaining permission from the High Court.
During the hearing, counsel for the farmers argued that the government claims that many farmers have voluntarily come forward to give up their land, but no official documents have been produced before the court in this regard. In reality, not even 5 per cent of farmers have agreed to part with their land, the counsel submitted.
Appearing for the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA), advocate Shivaprakash Shantanagoudar submitted that the Advocate General has already clarified that farmers will not be forcibly evicted and no coercive steps will be taken. The land acquisition process is still at a preliminary stage, he said.
Advocate General K. Shashikiran Shetty, appearing for the state government, assured the court that no farmer will be evicted until the compensation amount is finally fixed. The details of the compensation will first be placed before the High Court bench, and further process will continue only after bringing it to the notice of the court. Hence, there is no question of proceeding abruptly, he submitted.
Recording the statement made by the AG, the court observed that there is no need for farmers to panic as compensation will not be fixed overnight and trees will not be cut.
The court then adjourned the hearing of the main petition to September 29. Fresh petitions filed in connection with the same matter have been posted for hearing on September 1. (ANI)