A vew of Bengaluru urban area from the ISKCON Rajadhiraja Govinda temple off Kanakapura Road, Bengaluru, Tuesday, June 14. 2022.
Credit: DH File Photo/Pushkar V
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced on Tuesday a possible merger of Kanakapura with Bengaluru, a move that can push up land prices in the burgeoning town while redrawing the political map of the state capital district.
Kanakapura, about 55 km from Bengaluru, currently comes under the Ramanagara district that was created in 2007 when H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) was the chief minister. Before 2007, Kanakapura was under Bengaluru Rural district.
“You do not belong to Ramanagara district. You belong to Bengaluru. Keep this in mind,” Shivakumar said while addressing an audience in Shivanahalli village of Kanakapura. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the renovation of the Veerabhadra Swamy temple.
Shivakumar is the MLA of Kanakapura, a segment he has represented since 2008.
“I urge the people of Shivanahalli not to sell your assets to Bengalureans,” Shivakumar said. “I can’t put money into your pockets. I can’t provide homes to all. But God has given me the strength to increase the value of your assets by ten times,” he said.
Shivakumar also made a veiled attack on Kumaraswamy under whose tenure the Ramanagara district was created. “Don’t try to put us in some corner saying we’re in Ramanagara. Some people did it for the sake of publicity. But we belong to Bengaluru,” he said.
Senior leader P G R Sindhia, a 5-time Kanakapura MLA, was on the dais. He nudged Shivakumar by asking him if he was serious about his statement on bringing Kanakapura under Bengaluru. “I’ll get it done. I’m not just saying this. I’m saying this in the premises of God and on Vijayadashami,” Shivakumar responded. “All this will become Bengaluru. Every land will be transacted on a per foot basis,” he said.
At present, Kanakapura has its own City Municipal Council.
Going by Shivakumar’s statement, Bengaluru Urban district could go beyond its current jurisdiction of 2,196 sq km that covers Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru East, Anekal and Yelahanka taluks.