News Detail

• Demand for land compensation may shoot up; project could stop at Magadi.There is growing fear among stakeholders that the ongoing process of laying the 745-km trunk line from Dabhol to Bangalore will come to an abrupt halt in Magadi, instead of culminating in Bidadi.This has raised doubts on whether or not the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) will be able to meet its March-end deadline in completing the gas pipeline project.The project, which has made steady progress since 2010, has reached Magadi, where pipe-laying work is presently on.The project should now enter the last remaining stretch - Bangalore South and Ramanagar taluks - a scenario literally dreaded by GAIL.

• These taluks, which are political hotbeds, have remained untouched by GAIL, despite the agency being granted permission for land use. GAIL only has Right of Use (RoU) of the land identified for the project.Sources in the government said GAIL’s wariness stems out of the likely demand for “huge compensation” from land owners of these two taluks, once the price-fixing process begins.So far, GAIL has paid a compensation of Rs 72 crore for the 510 km that it has obtained RoU for.However, since the land prices are on a continuous escalation in Bangalore South and Ramanagar, the agency has estimated that compensation in these two taluks alone will come to Rs 70 crore.

• Sources said GAIL has sought the State government’s intervention to help negotiate with the land owners and fix a reasonable amount to be disbursed as compensation.The agency, which has already completed the ‘panchanama’ process, will begin the compensation fixing process at Sulivara village in Bangalore South Monday onwards.As per the survey conducted in the village, revenue officials have assessed that the base price per acre of land here is Rs 20 lakh.

• A 10 per cent compensation on this, plus 30 per cent ex-gratia and solatium will translate into Rs 6,500 per gunta. Officials said this was way too high, and apprehend that the prices will shoot up once the price fixing process begins in all the villages.Large tracts of land in villages of Ramanagar, including Kethaganahalli, are owned by JD(S) State chief H D Kumaraswamy and his relatives. Revenue officials said land owners are expected to create an artificial rise in land prices. They said the owners may claim the guidance value of an acre to be between Rs 50 lakh and Rs one crore. Sources said if the government does not bail out GAIL, the agency is planning to stop the project work at Magadi itself.

High-level meeting

• At a recent meeting regarding the pipeline, GAIL officials informed the State government that it was facing resistance from farmers in opening Right of Use (RoU). “They are demanding exorbitant and immediate distribution of compensation,” the officials said.The fourth High-level committee meeting held on January 16 was chaired by Chief Secretary S V Ranganath.Sources said GAIL had paid compensation anywhere between Rs 400 and Rs 4,500 per gunta in seven other districts namely Belgaum (Chikkodi, Gokak, Saundatti); Gadag (Nargund, Gadag, Mundargi); Dharwad (Navalgund); Bellary (Huvinahadagali); Davangere (Harapanahalli, Jagalur); Chitradurga (Chitradurga, Hiriyur); Tumkur (Sira, Gubbi, Tumkur).

Compensation elsewhere

• In Asalipura taluk of Tumkur, GAIL has given compensation five times more than the guidance value in addition to 20 per cent solatium and 10 per cent ex-gratia. The agency has paid Rs 1,625 per gunta (for an acre it is Rs 1 lakh).In Ramanagar and Madigondanahalli of Magadi taluk, it has paid compensation three times over the guidance value, minus the solatium and ex-gratia. Here, farmers were given Rs 3,375 per gunta (per acre it comes to Rs 4.5 lakh).In Gonur village of Chitradurga, GAIL has given compensation five times more than the guidance value. Farmers were paid Rs 4,875 per gunta (for an acre it comes to Rs 3 lakh).GAIL has paid the lowest compensation of Rs 400 per gunta in Belgaum district.

• Project details

• *  No of districts – 9

• *  Length of pipeline – 745 km (mainline)

• *  Length within Karnataka – 554.71 km

• *  No of villages – 265

• *  Villages in Bangalore South taluk - Sulivara, Sulivara Rampura, Kurubarapalya,

• Chikkanahalli, Dhodderi, Bannikuppe – 10.28 km (12.34 acres)

• *  Also villages in Ramanagar taluk – Kurubarakarenahalli, Vajarahalli, Kethiganahalli, Billikempanahalli – 4.81 km – 5.84 acres

Source