Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said the government is planning to rename the Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South’ with which he hopes that the state capital’s brand will rub off on the smaller towns.
The proposed Bengaluru South district will comprise of five taluks - Channapatna, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Magadi and Harohalli. The Ramanagara taluk will be this district’s headquarters.
Shivakumar, in a Wednesday night tweet, said people want “Bengaluru’s global reputation, sovereignty and pride” to benefit the five taluks.
The Bengaluru tag is expected to bring a windfall to landowners in Ramanagara, including the district’s four MLAs who hold more than 245 acres of immovable assets currently worth Rs 102 crore, according to their election affidavits analysed by DH.
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said Channapatna, Magadi, Ramanagara and Kanakapura taluks belonged to Bengaluru. "This is about self-respect of the people. We want to take back our identity," he said, adding that he could produce historical documents to show that these regions fell under Bengaluru.
Shivakumar accused JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy of not knowing the region's history. "Not just Kanakapura, the entire Ramanagara belongs to Bengaluru. We must protect that identity. The entire world is looking at India through Bengaluru. We’re not ready to lose our connection with Bengaluru," Shivakumar, the Kanakapura MLA, said.
On allegations that he will get richer by bringing Kanakapura under Bengaluru, Shivakumar said, “Shouldn’t our people benefit? When S Bangarappa was CM, I was given a site measuring 50x80 in Bhoopasandra. It was Rs 15,000 then. Now, it is worth Rs 6 crore."
Shivakumar has assured his constituents that their land prices will increase ten times.
Bangalore Realtors Association India president emeritus Farook Mahmood said realty prices would "definitely shoot up" with Shivakumar’s move.
"When these taluks shift from rural to urban, we will be talking about land parcels in terms of square feet instead of acreages. What's now purely agricultural land could also shift to being residential/commercial or retail properties," said Mahmood, who is also CMD at Silverline Realty.
Four MLAs in Ramanagara — three from the Congress — own lands in the district.
Kumaraswamy has 44.66 acres of agricultural land in Ramanagara worth Rs 38.91 crore.
Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain has declared immovable assets, including 52.29 acres of agricultural land, worth Rs 38 crore.
Shivakumar, one of India's richest lawmakers with declared assets of Rs 1,413 crore, has agricultural and other assets in the district measuring over 71 acres valued at Rs 10.37 crore.
Magadi MLA HC Balakrishna has 77 acres of agricultural and non-agricultural property in the district worth Rs 15.14 crore.
Shivakumar's brother, Bangalore Rural MP DK Suresh has declared agricultural and other assets measuring over 93.97 acres worth Rs 8.35 crore in the Ramanagara district.