Virtual realty
It has an insatiable appetite for land. On the outskirts of the city, agriculturists are being forced to sell their land at throwaway prices. Either, the government acquires it or private players get into the speculative game. The operation is orchestrated. The state government first notifies a large swathe of territory, usually agricultural, for acquisition, to execute a project in the public interest. Land is often notified, as we shall see, without proper estimates about project requirements. That counts as a bonanza for land sharks.
Farmers have no choice but to sell their land. The price offered by government agencies like the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (kiadb) is low compared with the going market rate. Real estate agents offer slightly better deals