Protest held against proposed integrated township at Kunigal stud farm

Hundreds of people took out a march in Kunigal, about 70 km from here, on Wednesday, protesting against the proposal to build an integrated township in place of the historical Kunigal Stud Farm, started during the reign of Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan during the 1780s.

Hundreds of people took out a march in Kunigal, about 70 km from here, on Wednesday, protesting against the proposal to build an integrated township in place of the historical Kunigal Stud Farm, started during the reign of Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan during the 1780s.

Protesters from all walks of life and local political leaders cutting across party lines took part in the rally that culminated at the tahslidar’s office where they submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The protest was organised by Heritage Kunigal Stud Farm Protection Committee.

The protest was triggered by the announcement of Urban Development Minister B.S. Suresh last month that an integrated township would be developed in place of the stud farm. To pave way for the proposal, the State government had also cancelled the tender to handover the stud farm to the successful bidder after the completion of tendering process. The tenure of the current lease holder United Racing and Bloodstock Breeders expired in 2023.

The protection committee urged the State government to drop the proposal to have an integrated township and conserve the heritage stud farm for posterity. Among other demands, the protesters said that the vast land belonging to stud farm should not be allotted to any industrial or commercial ventures and no building should be approved. The township can be located in any other part of Kunigal that will pave way for development, it said. The State government should write to the Centre to declare the stud farm, which has nearly 250 years of history, as one of the heritage sites in the country, said BJP Tumakuru district vice-president H.D. Rajesh Gowda.