Karnataka CM announces 'Wall of Gratitude' for landowners; 15 lakh saplings planted on Kempegowda Jayanti
Bengaluru, June 27
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the state government will establish 'Walls of Gratitude' to honour landowners who voluntarily part with their land for public welfare projects, saying their contribution would be permanently commemorated.
Speaking at the 517th Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations at the Bengaluru Development Authority's (BDA) Kempegowda Layout, Shivakumar said the names of landowners who give up land without objections for projects such as industrial areas, schools, lakes and roads would be inscribed on the memorial.
"The government has decided to include the names of landowners who give up land without objections for projects like industrial areas, schools, lakes and road construction on a Wall of Gratitude. Through this, the sacrifice of these landowners will be commemorated," he said.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated a 10-lane road named after former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and said it would eventually be extended into a 123-km corridor. He said a Wall of Gratitude would be built along the road to preserve the names of those who had contributed land for the project.
Paying tribute to landowners, Shivakumar said their contribution would be remembered for generations and added that the initiative would be replicated in other infrastructure projects.
As part of efforts to build a "green Bengaluru", the Chief Minister said the BDA planted 15 lakh saplings on the occasion of Kempegowda Jayanti. He also announced a tree-planting competition for schools under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, under which students would plant and nurture trees in designated areas.
Shivakumar further announced that a Kempegowda Study Centre would be established at Bengaluru University. He said 9.5 acres of land had been provided for the centre and that a Rs 10 crore development programme was being undertaken at Huthridurga.
Recalling former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna's contributions, he said, "It was S.M. Krishna who built Arkavathi Layout, Kempegowda Layout, Shivaram Karanth Layout, and Vikasa Soudha."
Speaking on infrastructure, the Chief Minister said work on the 123-km Bengaluru Business Corridor was progressing, and tenders had been called. He added that landowners affected by the project would be given options of 35 per cent commercial land, 40 per cent residential land or Transferable Development Rights (TDR). He also said work on a shorter tunnel road near Hebbal would begin in the coming days as part of measures to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some recognition for farmers and landowners who sacrifice their livelihoods for development! 🙏 My uncle gave up his ancestral land for a road project in 2010 - nobody even thanked him. This is a small but meaningful gesture. But 15 lakh saplings? Let's see how many survive the first summer. Hope BDA takes care of watering them!
Good intention but typical political gimmick. We've seen walls and statues come up but ground reality remains same. Our village lost land to highway expansion 5 years ago - still waiting for promised compensation. 😤 The 10-lane road and 123km corridor sounds great on paper. Let action follow words please.
Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations are nice but what about the mounting garbage crisis in Bengaluru? Our lakes are dying, air quality is terrible. Instead of planting saplings (which is good), why not clean Bellandur Lake that has been burning for years? Priorities seem misplaced sometimes. But the school competition for tree planting is a beautiful idea - will encourage my niece to participate! 🌱
I appreciate the sentiment behind "Wall of Gratitude" - it's a nice cultural touch. But honestly, the biggest issue in Bengaluru is traffic and infrastructure. 123km Business Corridor is ambitious but we need better public transport first. Metro expansion should be priority. Also, why does S.M. Krishna road have to be 10 lanes? Just widen existing roads and improve junctions.
Wonderful initiative! 🙌 As a student at Bangalore University, I'm thrilled about
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