The Supreme Court on Thursday (May 22, 2025) directed the Karnataka government to release Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificates of over ₹3,000 crore for 15 acres and 39 guntas of Bangalore Palace Grounds acquired for widening the Ballari and Jayamahal roads to the legal heirs of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family.
The judgment was pronounced by a Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar. The legal heirs, represented by advocate T. Harish Kumar and others, had moved the top court. In February, the court had ordered the State to deposit the TDR certificates while taking a stern view of the government’s changing stands on the issue.
The court had at the time referred to the State’s move to promulgate the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Ordinance, 2025, giving itself the right to either acquire the property or not acquire it. The court had interpreted the promulgation of the Ordinance as a signal that the State was effectively dropping the road-widening plans rather than part with the TDR worth ₹3,000 crore.
The State had promulgated the Ordinance in January 2025. Through the Ordinance it had reserved to itself the right to not acquire the land situated in the heart of Bengaluru city after the top court passed an order in December last year, directing it to issue the TDR.
Earlier, the State had contended that the issuance of the TDR certificates would result in an additional 13,91,742 sq. feet of built-up area constructable in the city. This would approximately be of a notional value of ₹1,396 crores after deducting 60% of the guidance value.
The Karnataka government had also filed a separate application urging the Supreme Court to take up 1997 civil appeal challenging constitutional validity of the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996.
Published – May 23, 2025 02:40 am IST
