Karnataka shelves aerospace park; Lokesh invites project to Andhra
Karnataka shelves aerospace park; Lokesh invites project to Andhra, says AP has plenty of land
By Sri Lakshmi Muttevi
Amaravati: A day after the Karnataka government decided to cancel its proposed acquisition of 1,777 acres of farmland in Devanahalli for an aerospace park near Kempegowda International Airport, the Andhra Pradesh government extended an invitation to the aerospace industry to establish their units in the State.
Why was the aerospace park project shelved?
On July 15, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, after chairing a meeting with officials and farmer representatives at Vidhana Soudha, announced that the government had decided to completely withdraw from acquiring land in Channarayapatna and nearby villages in Devanahalli taluk.
āWe have completely shelved the land acquisition process. However, some farmers have voluntarily expressed willingness to part with their land. The government will acquire land only from those who are willing and they will be offered higher compensation and developed plots,ā Siddaramaiah stated.
The original plan was to acquire land to set up an aerospace park, but persistent protests from local farmers led the government to reconsider its approach.
8,000 acres available, says Lokesh
In response, minister Nara Lokesh took to social media to highlight the Stateās readiness to welcome the aerospace industry, emphasising over 8,000 acres of readily available land outside Bengaluru and a comprehensive package of incentives.
āDear Aerospace industry, sorry to hear about this. I have a better idea for you. Why donāt you look at Andhra Pradesh instead? We have an attractive aerospace policy for you, with best-in-class incentives and over 8,000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru),ā he posted.
āKarnataka will not allow investors to switch Statesā
Reacting to Nara Lokesh's public appeal to aerospace companies, Karnataka minister G Parameshwara asserted that the State would not allow investors to shift to other States.
āIf we are not able to give land in Devanahalli, we will offer land at another location. We will definitely not let investors go to other States, such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu,ā he told the media, adding that the Karnataka government would make efforts to persuade the companies to relocate within the State itself.
AP farmers oppose
In a statement, Samyukta Kisan Morcha, A.P. Convenor Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao opposed the statement of Nara Lokesh offering 8000 acres of land to Aerospace industry.
"Without the consent of the farmers in the Lepakshi Knowledge Park area and without paying the legally mandated compensation under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, the government has no authority to give away farmers' lands. We stand against the conspiracy by Reliance Industries under Anil Ambani, and Adani group led by Gautam Adani, under the patronage of Narendra Modi, to siphon off thousands of crores of rupees in defense funds and take control of thousands of acres of land. We demand that this conspiracy should be defeated," the Statement said.
