Fri Jan 24 01:33:00 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka Scraps Plan to Acquire Bangalore Palace Grounds for Road Widening
**Bengaluru, January 24, 2025** – The Karnataka state government has abandoned its long-standing plan to acquire the Bangalore Palace Grounds for the widening of Ballari Road and Jayamahal Road. The decision, announced Thursday, follows a Supreme Court ruling that set the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) value at a staggering ₹3,011 crore, rendering the acquisition financially unviable.
The government cited the substantial financial burden and potential adverse impact on the state’s financial discipline as reasons for the reversal. The Cabinet noted that financially unviable projects are against public interest. While an interim application will be filed with the Supreme Court seeking a hearing on the validity of the Bangalore Palace Acquisition Act of 1996, the land acquisition itself is officially dropped.
The Supreme Court’s valuation of the TDR—₹2,83,500 per square metre on Ballari Road and ₹2,04,000 per square metre on Jayamahal Road—far exceeds the ₹120.68 per square metre calculated by the Bangalore Development Authority in 2024, based on the 1996 land value. The government will, however, provide TDR worth ₹24.83 crore for 1,217.41 square metres already used for the Jayamahal underpass. The remaining unutilized land will be returned.
Concerns were raised that utilizing the TDR for the acquired land in central Bengaluru would negatively impact urban planning and exacerbate traffic congestion. The Cabinet also noted that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the government, the sold TDR cannot be reclaimed.
Raja Chandra Urs, son-in-law of the last Maharaja of Mysore, questioned the government’s claim that the TDR would burden the state exchequer, arguing that there is no actual outflow of funds. He also questioned the abandonment of the public purpose for which the acquisition was ordered in 2009.
Although the palace land acquisition is off the table, the road widening project remains under consideration. The government is now exploring alternative options, including acquiring private land on the opposite side of the palace grounds, potentially at a cost of less than ₹1,000 crore. This revised plan, extending beyond the Hebbal flyover, is being considered alongside a planned tunnel project, which is expected to alleviate traffic congestion on Ballari Road. An estimated two lakh people commute on the road per hour during peak hours.
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