Local farmers are rallying for increased compensation rates for their land being acquired for the Halaga-Machhe Bypass, part of the larger Belagavi Ring Road project. Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi has pledged to lead a delegation representing the farmers to New Delhi to advocate for better compensation terms from the Union Minister of Road Transport, Mr. Nitin Gadkari.
The Minister met with farmers and local representatives to discuss their concerns and assured them of his support. Once their demands are formalized, Jarkiholi intends to lead the group to New Delhi, where they will submit an official memorandum seeking a more favorable compensation rate for the land marked for the 15-kilometer bypass.
A case is pending at the High Court of Karnataka and will be heard on October 30. The petitioners have demanded that the Zero point for the said road be fixed first, and then they may commence the procedure for the bypass.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is executing the ring road project, which will span over 160 acres, connecting Pune-Bengaluru and Belagavi-Goa highways and linking key routes through the city’s outskirts. However, farmers from several villages along the proposed route have opposed the land acquisition, citing potential losses of fertile farmland that serve as their primary livelihood source.
Over the past 13 years, efforts to realign the road and reduce its impact on agricultural lands have faced legal hurdles. Farmers filed petitions for project modifications, but appeals in both the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court have not changed the alignment. NHAI engineers working on preliminary surveying faced resistance from landowners.
According to the Revenue Department, the land acquisition process for the bypass first started in 2011, with additional rounds in 2019 and 2021. While the initial compensation of ₹15 crore has since been increased to ₹45 crore, local farmers argue this amount remains insufficient to offset their losses. Compensation for 77 acres has already been distributed, with an additional 55 acres’ compensation currently deposited in court. Despite these adjustments, farmers are pressing for further increments in the proposed compensation.
Minister Jarkiholi has committed to strengthening their case before national authorities, hopeful that an increase in compensation will address the farmers’ concerns and allow the project to move forward without further delays.