Govt withdraws entire land acquisition process in Devanahalli: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: In a major announcement amid ongoing farmer protests, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday declared that the government has decided to completely withdraw the land acquisition process in Devanahalli taluk’s Channarayapatna and surrounding villages.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with government officials and farmer representatives at Vidhana Soudha, followed by a press conference, Siddaramaiah clarified: “The government has decided to completely abandon the land acquisition process. However, some farmers have voluntarily expressed willingness to part with their land. The government will acquire only such land and provide them higher compensation and developed plots in return.”
Siddaramaiah added that willing landowners will be offered compensation higher than the standard guideline value, and those wishing to continue agricultural activities can do so without interference. He emphasised the strategic location of Devanahalli near Bengaluru and the airport, noting the importance of industrial development for increasing incomes across the state.
“For economic development, we need land to establish industries. It is the government’s duty to facilitate this while also respecting the rights of landowners,” he said.
The CM reiterated that no other land in the region will be acquired without farmers’ consent, and praised the democratic protests that led to this decision.
“Such large-scale protests against land acquisition have not been seen before. The land is fertile and crucial for farmers. We have listened to them,” he said.
Notably, the proposed acquisition of 1,777 acres in Devanahalli was intended for a major aerospace park. Siddaramaiah acknowledged the project but stated the government is willing to let it go elsewhere if it means protecting farmers’ rights.
“Even if the industry relocates, the government will stand with farmers,” he affirmed.
Actor and activist Prakash Raj, present at the event, lauded the CM’s stance: “Siddaramaiah has shown that social justice is not just in words but in action.”
Ministers M.B. Patil, K.H. Muniyappa, H.K. Patil, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge, Byrathi Suresh, CM’s political secretary Naseer Ahmed, legal advisor Ponnanna, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty, and several farmer representatives were present at the meeting.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
