September 17, 2025

Get ready for a big splash in northern Karnataka! The Karnataka government has announced sparkling new compensation rates for land under the Phase-3 of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), a mega irrigation mission aiming to rescue drought-hit districts like Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Vijayapura, and Bagalkot. Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister D.K. Shivakumar dropped the bombshell on Tuesday. He declared that landowners will get a cool ₹40 lakh per acre if their land is irrigated, ₹30 lakh if it’s dry arid land, and ₹25 lakh for land used to build canals. This is a huge jump from the previous government, which offered only ₹24 lakh and ₹20 lakh respectively! The project needs a whopping 1.33 lakh acres: 75,563 acres will go underwater, 51,837 acres will be carved into canals, and 6,467 acres are set for rehabilitation purposes. “This revised compensation package, costing the government about ₹70,000 crore, was planned in close talks with farmers, local leaders, and ministers,” said Shivakumar. The government wants to wrap up land purchases in three years, directly buying from farmers to avoid hassles. The land acquisition will follow the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. There are about 20,000 land disputes from earlier phases, which will be settled in arbitration. Undisputed land will be snapped up quicker through direct purchase. A fresh rehabilitation policy will also be created. Plus, a robust Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority, led by a judge appointed by the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, will oversee this entire process as per Section 51 of the 2013 Act. Exciting times for the farmers and the region as this bold step promises more water, more crops, and a thriving future!

Read More at Thehindubusinessline →

Tags: Karnataka, Upper krishna project, Land acquisition, Compensation, Irrigation, Dk shivakumar,