Bidadi land award to go before High Court, Karnataka tells court

Landowners contesting acquisition for the Bidadi Integrated Township Project received a further assurance from the Karnataka government: it will place the land-acquisition award before the High Court before enforcing it.

The undertaking was given before Justice R. Nataraj, who is hearing petitions challenging the acquisition. The government had earlier said landowners would not be dispossessed before an award was passed.

Lawyers for the landowners sought a stay, arguing that people could be dispossessed soon after an award while their petitions remained pending. They have also challenged the exemption from a Social Impact Assessment under the 2013 land-acquisition law.

The petitions allege that rural areas were first designated a Local Planning Area and then upgraded to an Urban Area, bringing the acquisition under the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities Act.

The court has listed the matter for September 29.